This week You! is in conversation with Zoheb Hassan who pays tribute to his (late) sister Nazia Hassan…
music
Nazia Hassan is a name synonymous with finesse and soulful rhymes. Her influence on the subcontinent continues to be emulated and admired until this day, even after her passing. Making her debut with the song Aap Jaisa Koi in 1980, she and her brother Zoheb Hassan have sold more than 65 million records worldwide. Having won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer at 15 in 1981, she remains the first Pakistani and the youngest recipient of the accolade to date. As the world celebrated the 22nd anniversary of her passing on Aug 13, Spotify honoured the music legend Nazia Hassan as EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador for the Month of August, in commemoration of her 22nd death anniversary.
Launched earlier this year, the music programme in Pakistan raises the volume for women artists’ voices and recognises their impact on the music scene. The programme has continued to celebrate women artists and recognised their contribution to the music industry by promoting aspiring women artists and legends that have shaped Pakistan’s music industry. The latest addition to the list is the music icon, the Queen of South Asian Pop, Nazia Hassan. Embossing an everlasting mark in the nation’s hearts and revered for redefining Pakistan's pop music landscape forever during the golden era of the ’80s and ’90s, Nazia is the first Ambassador to be honoured posthumously. She will be lighting up Times Square, NYC, by being featured on a digital billboard in one of the world's most recognised locations.
This month, fans worldwide can see Nazia on the cover of EQUAL playlist and discover her renowned track, Boom Boom on both the local and global playlists. This week You! is in conversation with Zoheb Hassan who pays tribute to his (late) sister Nazia Hassan and shares his views with our readers…
You! You and Nazia set an unprecedented benchmark in Pakistan’s pop industry at a time when the genre was relatively underexplored locally. Can you reminisce a little bit about why you two chose the pop genre for your music?
Zoheb Hassan: Nazia and I started our careers just as school kids. We were very young and we had no idea that we were going to get the success or popularity that we eventually got. We were simply doing something that we enjoyed and loved. We loved writing, producing and singing and we never had any ulterior motive to get success or to make money or fame.
It is important to understand the history of the industry. At that time in South East Asia, before we came in, there was only folk music, classical music and film music. There was no concept of pop music, and Nazia and I managed to fill that void, especially for the young people because they had no music that they could identify with, or a music which was young or vibrant. It was all much more mature music that they had to listen to. So when we came up with our first pop song ‘Disco Dewane’, it became an instant hit because people could not believe that they were hearing pop music but in their own language and something that they could identify with, culturally. It caught on like wildfire and all over South East Asia and charted in fourteen countries worldwide. It not only went to South America but also succeeded in Japan, Indonesia, Africa, and the Middle East and it just picked up from there further. This just goes to show that music shouldn’t have any boundaries, as it doesn’t have any boundaries and can transcend anywhere. That’s what our music did and I'm so happy about the fact that we were able to share our culture with the rest of the world through the music.
You! Nazia Hasan has left such a deep mark on the hearts of the nation that her voice remains evergreen and the listeners’ love for her is unparalleled. What would you like to say about her legacy?
ZH: My sister Nazia always considered herself as a social worker, and not really a musician. She worked with the UN for children and peace in the region, she also did a lot of charitable work as she wanted to help children and young people in need, and she did all of this very quietly. She did not share this side of her life with anybody, including her own family. We only found out later after she had passed away. It was her greatness that she never spoke about it as people in general like to boast about what they do for the people in need.
As her family, we have continued Nazia's good work and have tried to take that forward. My mother started the Nazia Hassan Foundation that is geared to help young people in need, and we have done a lot of work for helping children as well, including supporting them for education and providing them with medical facilities.
You! How do you feel about Nazia being appointed EQUAL Pakistan’s Ambassador for the Month?
ZH: I would like to take the opportunity to thank Spotify for making my dear sister the ambassador for EQUAL Pakistan and Global, representing the female artists of the region.
You! What message would you like to deliver at this moment to her listeners all over the world?
ZH: My message to everybody would be that no matter what profession you are in, you should always try to be sincere in what you do. This world has become a bit fickle with social media and people are always trying to be someone that they are not. But you don’t have to do that. You have your own value and you should embrace it. Be sincere and honest to yourself and to others, only then you will go a long way in whatever you do. Other than that, keep on rocking and I hope together we will be able to build a world which is a safe haven for our future generations.
