Nazia Hassan - Legacy

Legacy

Pakistan's vibrant contemporary music scene owes itself to Nazia Hassan's redefinition of pop. In fact, the biggest 1990s bands, including the Vital Signs and the Jupiters, got a platform on "Music '89".

Nazia also had a seismic impact in India. "India Today" magazine voted her as one of the top 50 people who helped change the face of India. She has contributed to the development of the present isomorphism of Bollywood music and pop: “She set – well ahead of its time – the personal album trend in India, spawning the likes of Alisha Chinai, Lucky Ali and Shweta Shetty", the magazine noted at the time. After the huge success of their music, Nazia and Zoheb were signed by EMI Group and were the first South Asian singers to be signed by an international music company.

Nazia used her iconic status to promote social causes. All the money earned from music was spent on charity. She relentlessly worked for special children and for youth and women in distress residing in the underprivileged areas of Karachi. Nazia supported the “Inner Wheel Club” of India and helped raise funds for them. In Pakistan, she established the organisation “BAN” (Battle Against Narcotics) and became an active member of organisations such as Voice of Women, National Youth Council of Pakistan, etc.

Nazia worked with Javed Jabbar, former Information Minister, to raise funds for children in Rajasthan. She went to a very large number of schools to collect toys for poor children and gave talks on the subject of social awareness for the under privileged. Nazia never forgot the love and support of all the schools and always spoke with great affection for them. The worthy staff and the students of St Joseph’s Convent, Mama Parsi School and many others had gone out of their way to help the cause.

Surprisingly, music was only a hobby for Nazia and though her achievements in this field were anyone’s dream come true, she lived away from the glitzy world and led a secluded and simple life. She completed her education in the UK, got a law degree and then worked in the United Nations in the Security Council. Nazia continued her social work even in New York and worked for children from UN platform.

She is known as the Sweetheart of Pakistan. Nazia Hassan is still the symbol of grace, sacred beauty and innocence and is frequently compared to Princess Diana, as she was known to possess a heart of gold. Nazia spent her teenage years between Karachi and London.

Using her celebrity status in Pakistan, she created an organisation called BAN (Battle against Narcotics) in Karachi to help fight the drugs war. She and her brother Zoheb dedicated their album ‘Camera Camera’ to BAN and hoped to create drug abuse awareness among the Pakistani youths.

Nazia also actively participated in organisations such as The Voice of Women, Business and Professional Women, Inner Wheel Club for Disabled Children in India and NYCP (National Youth Council of Pakistan). She created and participated in many child welfare programs in Pakistan and was involved in social issues ranging from women’s issues to illiteracy among the youth. She tried to use her music to stir up people’s emotions against the use of drugs. The song ‘Nasha na karna’ (Don’t do drugs) was an example of the message Nazia and Zoheb were sending out. Nazia Hassan also created a mobile clinic in Lyari, one of the poorest areas in Karachi.

Nazia is still loved and revered by millions of people in Pakistan,the rest of the sub-continent and numerous locations world-wide including South America,the Gulf,Europe & the United States. She had talent and appeal that truly crossed all boundaries.