The Queen of Ghazal: Iqbal Bano

A musical journey of resistance

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Iqbal Bano was a highly acclaimed classical ghazal singer from Pakistan. She was born in Delhi, British India, in 1935 and her family was originally from Rohtak, Punjab, India. She showed keen interest in music since her early childhood and learned classical music, including Thumri and Dadra from Ustad Chand Khan of Delhi Gharana.

Bano singing 'Daagh e Dil' (1975). by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano sang the famous poem 'Daagh e Dil' (1975), written by Baqi Siddiqui, for Pakistan Televsion Network. This video was produced by Akhtar Veqar Siddiqui and donated to CAP by Khawaja Najam Ul Hasan.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano’s family was originally from Rohtak – an area in Indian Punjab. She was under the apprenticeship of Ustad Chand Khan of the Delhi Gharana, who despite having his own two daughters under tutelage, was of the opinion that her talent would supersede all others. He recommended her to the All India Radio in Delhi, where she sang in the coming years.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano’s family migrated to Pakistan in 1952. That same year, at age 17, she married a zamindar (landlord) who promised to allow her to take her passion for music forward – a promise well kept. They settled in Multan, but her first live performance took place at the Lahore Arts Council in 1957, a city she would later return to.

Nigar Magazine Scans from 1961, this image shows singer Nihaal Abdulla on the left, Bano in the middle with Lollywood music director Fazal Kareem Fazli. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

An established classical singer, Bano had achieved fame and acclaim by the 1950s. At this point she debuted in modern film music. Her soundtracks appeared in films such as Qatil (1955), Sarfarosh (1956), Nagin (1959), Inteqaam (1972), and Gumnaam (1983).

A scan from the book 'Immortal Film Songs- Inspired by Raags' written by S M Shahid. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano sang the songs 'Payal Main Geet' and 'Ulfat Ki Nai Manzil' for the films Gumnaam (1954) and Qatil (1955).

A scan from the book 'Immortal Film Songs- Inspired by Raags' written by S M Shahid. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

The song 'Ulfat Ki Nai Manzil' was written by poet Qateel Shifai and the music for the track was composed by Inayat Husain for the Pakistani Lollywood film Qatil in 1955. This song was sung by Bano and she sang this song in a classical thumri style. Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.

An image of Bano at the Women's Action Forum (WAF). WAF is a women's rights organization in Pakistan. WAF was established in Karachi in September 1981. WAF was formed to respond to the implementation of the Hudood Ordinance penal code and to strengthen women's position in society generally. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

It was during the 80s that she really developed an idiosyncratic attachment to the writings of Faiz and gave them her own personality. She harnessed more public appeal after performing the ghazals 'Dasht e Tanhai' and 'Dono Jahan Teri Mohabbat Mein Haar Key' and became a musical specialist on Faiz.

Bano singing 'Dast e Tanhai' (2002). by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano sang the famous ghazal 'Dasht e Tanhai' by Faiz Ahmed Faiz for Pakistan Television Network in 2002. This performance was produced for the channel by Khawaja Najam Ul Hasan.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

It is interesting to note that Faiz had a fascination with the classical singer Begum Akhtar, and true connoisseurs of classical music have marked similarities between her and Iqbal Bano. Begum Akhtar passed away on 7 October 1974 in Ahmedabad, India – the same year Bano was awarded the Tamgha e Imtiaz (Pride of Performance) in Pakistan.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano could also sing Persian Ghazals with the same eloquence with which she charmed audiences in Iran and Afghanistan. Crowds would gather to see her and hear her sing in their mother tongue. In 1979, she received a special invitation to a culture festival, Jashn-e-Kabul. The King of Afghanistan is said to have been so enthralled by her performance that he presented her with a golden vase.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

After the demise of her husband in 1980, she permanently moved from Multan to Lahore.

Bano singing "Hum Dekheingey". by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

This famous Ghazal written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz was sung by Iqbal Bano for Pakistan Television Network, produced by Khawaja Najam Ul Hasan for the talkshow Sitarey 2 Sitarey.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

In February 1985, Bano performed Faiz’s ghazal ‘Hum Dekheingey’ (We Will See) at Al Humra Theatre, Lahore. In that moment, she became an icon of dissent. This was because the poetic works of Faiz had been banned by the military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq due to Faiz's close association with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Faiz Ahmed Faiz had served as the cultural ambassador during Bhutto’s era.

Bano’s performances became an act of defiance, and through her music she fought against the government ban. The performance roused a crowd of 50,000 people, who chimed in with the verses: 'Jab takht giraye jayeingey, jab taj uchaaley jaeyingey, hum dekheingey' (when the rulers will be forced down from their thrones, their crowns will be thrown in the air, we will witness it), while others chanted 'Inquilaab Zindabaad' (Long Live Revolution).

Bano performing at the Arts Council in Karachi by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano took Indo-Pakistani vocal artistry to new heights by combining traditionalism and modernism in one of the most venerated and complex of vocal poetry forms. Her chosen medium was ghazal, an Arab poetic form richly hued, veiled and hallmarked by allegory, and consequently open to symbolic and multi-levelled interpretation.

Bano performing at the Arts Council in Karachi. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

What is written and what is sung in ghazal is not necessarily as it appears or sounds. Bano caught the cusp of change by presenting and delivering ghazals that took the once largely, if not wholly, devotional on to the political path. Whether singing the religious or the new, in the case of the ghazals of the new-wave poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, she brought a new and personal dynamism to what she sang.

An interview with Bano by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

An interview with Bano for Pakistan Television Network for the programme Siiarey 2 Sitarey hosted by Shehnaz Sheikh and produced and directed by Khawaja Najam Ul Hasan.

An image of Bano performing for Pakistan Television Network. by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Bano died at age 74, on Tuesday, 21 April 2009, in the eastern city of Lahore. Her legacy continues to live on through the extensive body of work that she left behind. Bano has been a popular cultural icon symbolizing freedom of speech, equality, and social justice.

In a recent demonstration throughout Pakistan on the Women's Rights called Aurat March her ghazal 'Hum Dekheingey' was played by the crowd with loud chanting by the demonstrators, immortalizing her as a symbol of resistance.

Credits: Story

Initial Design, Concept and Layout:
Aaliyah Tayyebi

Primary Data Collection:
CAP Oral History Project Team
Meher Mehtab
Hurmat Riaz
Javeria Hashmi
Fatima Abbas

Secondary Research:
Aaliyah Tayyebi
Maliha Nasir

Photo Editing and Title Artwork:
Anum Zahid
Abeer Kaisri

Video Upload and YouTube Technical Support:
Zaara Abbas

General Editing, Technical Support and Final Design:
Aaliyah Tayyebi

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, operating in Karachi and Lahore. We seek to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nation’s history and instil pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage.

Copyright © 2019 by Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP).
All rights reserved. No part of this Exhibit may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including copying, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP).

All the images and videos shown here were donated to CAP by Khawaja Najam Ul Hasan and S M Shahid.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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