Kajjan Begum | |
|---|---|
| Born | Imam Bandi (1932-01-24)24 January 1932 |
| Died | 10 February 2000(2000-02-10) (aged 68) |
| Education | Lucknow School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1940 – 2000 |
| Spouse | Akhtar Wasi Ali (husband) |
| Children | Mehnaz Begum (daughter) |
| Parent | Hussaini Begum (mother) |
| Relatives | Ishrat Jehan (sister) Shamim Bano (sister) |
| Awards | Pride of Performance Award by thePresident of Pakistan (2001) |
Kajjan Begum (1932 – 2000) was a Pakistani classical and a film playback singer. Before migrating to Pakistan, she was a famous singer in India.[1]
Kajjan Begum's birth name was Imam Baandi. She was born inLucknow,British India on 24 January 1932.[2] Her mother, Hussaini Begum and her two younger sisters, Ishrat Jehan and Shamim Bano were also singers.[3] She was schooled in classical singing with her two sisters at the Lucknow School.[4]
She started singingMarsiya with her mother in 1940. She was later employed atMohammad Amir Ahmed Khan's (Raja Saheb of Mahmudabad) palace, where she would sing songs and recite elegies during religious days and in the month ofMuharram.[5] On other days, she would sing thumris, kajris, dadras, purbi geets and light classical Hindustani music.[1]
Kajjan Begum remained in India after thePartition of India for some time and became a popular singer there. In the late 1950s, she migrated toPakistan with her family.[6][1][7] She later started singing onRadio Pakistan, Karachi. She also trained her daughterMehnaz Begum in classical music.[6]
In 1962, film producerFazal Ahmad Karim Fazli offered her a chance to sing for his filmChiragh Jalta Raha (1962 film),[8] to which she agreed. The film was a Silver Jubilee box office hit. It was premiered byFatima Jinnah, the chief guest in the opening ceremony held at Nishat Cinema, Karachi.
She was honored with thePride of Performance award from theGovernment of Pakistan for her contributions to the music Industry in 2001 (award announced on 14 August 2000, actually conferred on 23 March 2001).[2]
Kajjan Begum married co-singer Akhtar Wasi Ali in 1952,[8] with whom she had four children includingMehnaz Begum, who grew up to become a popular singer in Pakistan.[1]
Kajjan Begum died on 10 February 2000 inKarachi, Pakistan at age 68.[8]
| Song title | Sung by | Lyrics by | Music by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaahe Ko Biyahi Pardes Babul Mere | Kajjan Begum | Traditional wedding song | Nihal Abdullah | FilmChiragh Jalta Raha (1962)[2] |
| Yeh Hari Hari Chooriyan[9] | Kajjan Begum | Traditional wedding song | Pakistan Television production (1985) | |
| Bannay Jhuk Jhuk Jaiyyo Susral Galliyan | Kajjan Begum | Traditional wedding song | Pakistan Television production (1985) |
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Pride of Performance | Award by thePresident of Pakistan | Won | Arts | [2][8] |