Hadiqa Kiani is the longest-reigning female superstar of Pakistan. She is a singer, composer, guitarist, actress, and philanthropist who has represented Pakistan on numerous global occasions. Drawing inspiration from music idols like Noor Jehan, Nazia Hassan, and Whitney Houston, Hadiqa’s melodious voice is a unique blend of Eastern and Western tones. She has performed at various international events in countries including Malaysia, Turkey, China, the US, the UK, Japan, and UAE.
Personal Life:
Hadiqa Kiani was born in Rawalpindi on 11th August, 1972. Her father passed away when she was three years old. Her mother, poet Khawar Kiani, who was a principal at a government girls’ school raised her three children. Noticing her daughter’s extraordinary talent for music, her mother enrolled her at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts where she received her education from Madam Nargis Naheed. Hadiqa completed her bachelor’s from Kinnaird College for Women and her master’s from Government College University, Lahore.
Hadiqa adopted her son, Naad-e-Ali in 2005 who was an earthquake survivor. She married a UK-based businessman, Syed Fareed Sarwary however they got divorced in 2008. Hadiqa Kiani was very close to her mother and took care of her after she got paralyzed in 2006. Her mother passed away on 14th October, 2022.
Music Career:
Hadiqa Kiani started her music career by hosting a children’s music program, Angan Angan Taray. She sang more than a thousand songs while hosting the show. She gained recognition for her work and started playback singing for movies. Her most notable work in the 1990s was for the movie, Sargam. Here is a list of music albums released by Hadiqa.
Raaz:
In 1995, Hadiqa released her debut album Raaz. Some of the most popular songs of this album include Jeevan, Tu agar mil jata, and Mane di mauj which is a Kashmiri folk song. After this album, Hadiqa became the first female Pakistani artist to sign a contract with Pepsi Cola International.
Roshni:
Roshni was Hadiqa’a’s platinum album that sold more than a million copies. It has some of the most evergreen songs. Boohey Barian is the most melodious song in Pakistan’s pop industry. The album also features Intehai Shouq which was the official theme song for the Pakistan Cricket Team in the 1999 World Cup.
Rung:
In the last quarter of 2002, Hadiqa released her third album. Some of the popular songs include “Jogi Ban k aa”, “Mahi” and “Dholan”. Although Hadiqa went through a rough patch in her personal life as she was going through her first divorce, she sold a record number of copies.
Rough Cut:
Released in 2007, this album was a collaborative effort with the veteran (late) guitarist, Amir Zaki. It was the first album completely in English by a mainstream Pakistani artist.
Aasmaan:
In June 2009, Hadiqa released her fifth album. She has a wonderful talent for singing songs in numerous languages. She sang songs in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindko, Pashto, and Persian.
Wajd:
In 2017, Hadiqa collaborated with her brother to launch her first visual album, Wajd. She received the Best Album of the Year from Lux Style Awards in 2018 for this album.
Vasl:
In 2022, Hadiqa compiled and recomposed songs from her first album and launched her album, Vasl. The album made listeners nostalgic and received international acclaim.
Acting Career:
Along with a mellow voice, Hadiqa has great acting talent. She has appeared in numerous blockbuster dramas. Here are some of her most popular dramas:
| Raqeeb Se | Dobara |
| Pinjra | Udaari (guest appearance) |
Conclusion:
Hadiqa Kiani has not only contributed to art but her philanthropic involvement and social work are paramount. She has been an active volunteer in catastrophes and natural disaster rehabilitation. She is vocal in promoting women’s leadership. She has worked for various charitable organizations including SOS Villages, Edhi Foundation, and Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital. She is a living legend of Pakistan.
