Abida Parveen was born in Larkana town, province of Sindh, Pakistan, in 1954. Daughter of the famous musician, Master Ghulam Haider, she received her initial musical training from him, and subsequently from Ustad Salamat Ali Khan.
Helped by a towering voice, previously unseen in women singers, she embarked upon her public journey in music, through the auspices of Radio Pakistan Hyderabad, circa 1973. In a time where folk music was usually the domain of male Artistes, Abida Parveen was trailblazing her own niche within the Sufi / Devotional genres.
She is the doyen of the Sufi music genre, in the South Asian region. Her forte is the “kafi”, “ghazal” and along the way, she has dabbled very successfully into the realms of “Qawwali”. The powerful timbre of her voice, helping her in her endeavours.
Inspired by verses of almost all Sufi saints, ranging from Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast, Sultan Bahu and surprisingly, even foraying into the socio / cultural reformist verses of Ameer Khusrau.
She is now the staple overseas Sufi Artiste from South Asia, with avid following in Japan, UK and USA.
Comparisons to the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are always brought in focus, with some claiming her to be a replacement; however, she has carved out an independent niche for herself as a genuine exponent of Sufi / Devotional music within the region. Her uniqueness lies not only in her towering vocals, but the fact that she imbibes a woman’s perspective into poetry, initially thought from the mindset of a man.
Abida Parveen, lives in Islamabad, and stands above all, in the niche that she has carved for her breed of Artistes.
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