Poet: Qateel Shifai
Lyrics:
Ulfat ki nai manzil ko chala, tu banhen dal k banhon mein
dil torne wale dekh k chal, ham bhi to pare hain rahon mein
Kya kya na jafayen dil pe sahin, par tum se koi shikwa na kiya
is jurm ko bhi shamil kar lo, mere masum gunahon mein
Jahan chandni raton mein tum ne khud hamse kiya iqarar-e-wafa
phir aj hain ham kyon begane, teri beraham nigahon mein
Ham bhi hain wahin, tum bhi ho wahi, ye apni-apni qismat hai
tum khel rahe ho khushiyon se, ham dub gaye hain ahon mein
Iqbal Bano (1935 - 21 April 2009) was a highly acclaimed female Ghazal singer from Pakistan. She was best known for her semi-classical Urdu ghazal songs and classical thumris, but also sang easy-listening numbers in 1950s films.
Iqbal Bano was born in Delhi, British India. From a young age, she developed a love for music. In Delhi, she studied under Ustad Chaand Khan of the Delhi Gharana, an expert in all kinds of pure classical and light classical forms of vocal music. He instructed her in pure classical music and light classical music within the framework of classical forms of thumri and dadra. She was duly initiated Gaandaabandh shagird of her Ustad.
Her husband died in 70's, after which she moved to Lahore from Multan. It was observed that her temperament was particularly suited to vocal genres like thumri, dadra and ghazal.
Iqbal Bano was invited by Radio Pakistan for performances. Her debut public concert was in 1957, at the Lahore Arts Council. She was considered a specialist in singing the ghazals of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In 1985, Bano roused a strong crowd of 50,000 people in Lahore by singing Faiz's passionate Urdu anthem, Hum Dekhenge, although his works were banned by General Zia ul-Haq's military regime. In due course she generated more and more public appeal and became a specialist in singing the kalam of Faiz Ahmad Faiz. She also sang ghazals of Nasir Kazmi, also ghazals in Persian. She also sang Persian poetry, which became popular in Iran and Afghanistan. In pre-1979 Afghanistan, she was often invited to the annual cultural fair, the Jashn-e-Kabul.
In light classical, her presentation of Thumris in raags Khammach (kahay sataey mohe), Tilak Kamode (sautan ghar na ja), Des (Naheen parey mohe chaen), Peelo (gori torey naina karaj bin kalay) and others are renderings which have become all time great.
Music lovers noted some similarities between Bano and Begum Akhtar, especially some marked resemblances in their styles of singing. Bano's recitals stuck to a classical style that lays more stress on the raag purity.
At the age of 74, Iqbal Bano died in Lahore on April 21, 2009, after a short illness.
