Iqbal Bano The Fearless Voice Behind Faiz's Poem Hum Dekhenge

Iqbal Bano was a Pakistani ghazal singer who was born on 28th December 1938 in Delhi. But, after her marriage, she moved to Pakistan and spent the rest of her life there. Bano’s devotion for music was evident since her childhood. She is best known for fearlessly singing poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's "Hum dekhenge”.

Acclaimed for her classical thumri and semi-classical ghazals, she also sang some songs in Urdu movies in the 1950s. Bano's talent was recognised by her friend’s father who asked her father to train her in music because he believed that Bano was blessed with a beautiful voice and if she gets the right initiation and training she will be a very well-known singer one day.

She studied pure classical music and light classical music the classical forms of Thumri and Dadra from Ustad Sabri Khan.

Marriage changed her life

At the age of 17, in 1952, she got married. After her marriage, she moved to Multan, Pakistan. Bano's husband was supportive when it came to her music career. In 1980, after her husband’s death, she moved to Lahore.

 The sensation is well recognised

Bano was awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1974. Google gave her a tribute in the form of a Google Doodle on 28th December 2019 as it was her 81st birthday.

Once she once gifted a gold flower vase by the Afghan King Zakir Shah and was invited to Afghanistan to attend Jashn-e-Kabul once a year. Fan's have often noted a similarity in style of singing between Bano and Begum Akhtar.

Pursuit

She also sang on the radio too. By the 1950s she sang for Pakistani movies like Gumnaam, Qatil, Inteqaam, Sarfarosh, Ishq-e-Laila and Nagin.

Bano was awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1974. Google gave her a tribute in the form of a Google Doodle on 28th December 2019 as it was her 81st birthday.

Hum Dekhenge

The turning point came in her life when she gave voice to one of Faiz Ahmed's nazm ‘Hum dekhenge”.

‘Hum Dekhenge’ loosely translated as We shall witness is a revolutionary poem (nasm), written by well-known poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, in 1979. The passionate anthem in Urdu is considered his response to General Zia ul Haq’s dictatorship. Faiz Ahmad in this poem talks about the Islamic idea of justice i.e. the day of judgement and Iqbal Bano eternalized it in her voice. The poet was banned for his close association with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.  General Zia-ul-Haq, is responsible for the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Iqbal continued to sing Faiz's works as an act of defiance and resistance to Haq's regime. Hum Dekhenge, within no time, became a battle cry, a slogan. General Zia ul Haq’s military regime banned her singing at official concerts, her television appearance was also made illegal. But she didn't give up.

Heedless of everything her fans still bought her tapes from black markets and over time her admirers increased in numbers. With this one song, she had formed a cult following.

After a short illness Iqbal Bano died in Lahore, Pakistan on 21 April 2009, she was 74.

Picture Credit: The Print

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Avleen Kaur Narang is an intern with SheThePeople.TV