Abida Parveen

Abida Parveen, born on February twentieth, nineteen fifty-four, is a celebrated Pakistani Sufi singer, composer, and musician, often hailed as the Queen of Sufi music. Raised in Larkana within a Sindhi Sufi family, she was nurtured in the art of music by her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, a renowned singer and music teacher. Parveen's musical journey began in the early nineteen seventies, and she gained international acclaim in the nineteen nineties, marking her global presence with her first concert in Buena Park, California.

Throughout her illustrious career, Parveen has showcased her talent across various platforms, including the popular musical show Coke Studio. She has also served as a judge on the pan-South Asia contest show Sur Kshetra, alongside notable artists like Runa Laila and Asha Bhosle. Her appearances in Indian and Pakistani music reality shows, such as Pakistan Idol and STAR Voice of India, have further solidified her status as a musical icon. In recent years, she collaborated with Atif Aslam for a Pepsi commercial, demonstrating her versatility and appeal.

Renowned for her powerful and impassioned voice, Parveen specializes in a variety of musical forms, including ghazals, thumri, khyal, qawwali, and her unique kafi genre. She performs in multiple languages, including Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Arabic, and Persian, and has even sung in Nepali during a concert in Kathmandu. In recognition of her contributions to music and peace, she was designated a 'Peace Ambassador' by SAARC in two thousand seventeen.

Abida Parveen's remarkable achievements include receiving Pakistan's second highest civilian award, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, in two thousand twelve, and the highest civilian honor, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in March two thousand twenty-one. Her most famous songs, such as 'Yaar ko Humne' from the album Raqs-e-Bismil and 'Tere Ishq Nachaya,' a rendition of Bulleh Shah's poetry, continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.