Iqbal Bano

Iqbal Bano was a Pakistani singer who specialized in ghazal and classical music. She was born in Delhi, British India in 1928 and received her musical training from Ustad Chand Khan of the Delhi gharana. She migrated to Pakistan in 1948 and married a landowner in Multan. She sang for All India Radio and later for Radio Pakistan. She also sang for many Pakistani films and recorded albums. She was known for her expressive and versatile voice and her mastery of various genres. She was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan in 1978. She was also a Sufi devotee and sang many poems of Sufi saints. She became famous for her rendition of "Hum Dekhenge", a poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, which she sang in defiance of the military dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq. She died of a heart attack in Lahore on 21 April 2009 at the age of 80.