Tahira Syed طاہرہ سيد | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tahira Syed (1955-11-06)6 November 1955 (age 70) |
| Genres | Folk music •Ghazal |
| Occupations | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1968 – present |
| Labels | Radio Pakistan |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Hasnain Bokhari (son) Kiran Bokhari (daughter) |
| Parent(s) | Malika Pukhraj (mother) Shabbir Hussain (father) |
| Relatives | Asif Habibullah (son-in-law) |
Tahira Syed (inPunjabi andUrdu:طاہرہ سيد) (born 1955,Lahore) is aPakistanighazal andfolk singer.[1] Her repertoire includes folk songs inUrdu,Punjabi,Dogri andPahari.[2][3]
Tahira Syed was born in Lahore to a vocalistMalika Pukhraj and Shabbir Hussain, aPunjabi, government official and writer.[4]
Syed obtained her primary education from theConvent of Jesus and Mary where she passed herSenior Cambridge examinations.[2] She graduated from Lahore College, then studied law at thePunjab University.[2] After obtaining anLLB degree, she enrolled in aMasters Program in English atKinnaird College for Women, Lahore, but later dropped out of the college.[2]
Syed began singing, aged 12, to please her mother. After two years of rigorous classical music training byAkhtar Hussain,[3] Syed was instructed ingeet and ghazal by her mother.[4] Her final teacher, Nazar Hussain, taught her voice modulation andraggi (singing using the throat).[4]
Syed first appeared on air in 1968–1969 onRadio Pakistan,[3] and then onPakistan Television. "Yeh Alam Shauq Ka Dekha na Jaey", "Chanjar Phabdi Na Mutiar Bina" and "Abhi Tau Main Jawan Houn", written by Pakistani poetHafeez Jalandhri, are some of her most popular songs.[3] In April 1985, she appeared on the cover ofNational Geographic magazine.[4] She received the Pakistan Television Lifetime Achievement Award, and thePride of Performance Award from thePresident of Pakistan on 23 March 2013.[5] In 1972, she won theNigar Award forBest Female Playback Singer.[3]
Syed continues to perform at diverse events such as a "ghazal evening" inDallas, Texas, U.S.,[6] a tribute toFaiz Ahmed Faiz inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.,[7] and at the Faiz International Festival in Lahore.[8]
Syed was married to lawyerNaeem Bukhari for 15 years (1975–1990) before their separation and divorce; they had two children.[9] She is a well-known personality in Pakistan and occasionally speaks publicly at art and literature events.[10]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Nigar Awards | Best Playback Singer | Won | Mohabbat | [2] |
| 1982 | Nigar Awards | Best Singer | Won | Nigar Awards Committee | [11] |
| 1994 | PTV Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | Herself | [2] |
| 2013 | Pride of Performance | Award by thePresident of Pakistan | Won | Herself | [2] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
| Other | |
