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Farida Khanum

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Farida Khanum is a very famous classical singer from Pakistan. She is a master of a style of singing called ghazal. Many people call her Malika-e-Ghazal. This title means she is the Queen of Ghazal. People in both Pakistan and India think she is one of the best. Her music is special because it carries deep meaning.

Learning to sing like this takes a lot of hard work. Farida studied several musical styles. These include Khayal, Thumri, and Dadra. She learned these from a teacher named Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan. He was part of the Patiala gharana, which is a specific school of music. Farida practiced her skills through something called riyaaz. Her sister, Mukhtar Begum, helped her by taking her to the teacher's home.

Farida's life changed many times as she grew up. She was born in 1929 in Amritsar. At that time, Amritsar was part of British India. Her family was Punjabi Muslim. In 1947, there was a big event called the Partition of India. Because of this, her family moved to Lahore, Pakistan. Farida was 18 years old when this move happened.

Her career has been very long and successful. She gave her first public concert in 1950 when she was 21. Later, she joined Radio Pakistan to sing. She became a big star in the 1960s. This happened after President Ayub Khan invited her to perform. She also acted in many films. Some of her films were in Urdu and some were in Punjabi. One famous song she sings is "Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Naa Karo." This song was written by the poet Fayyaz Hashmi.

Farida has traveled to many places to share her music. She went to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. There, she sang Persian-language ghazals with Afghan musicians. She has also won many important awards. These include the Pride of Performance and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz. These honors were given to her by the President of Pakistan. Even at age 86, she was still performing on shows like Coke Studio.

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