Origins & Early Life

Farida Khanum (Urdu: فرِیدہ خانَم) is a Pakistani classical singer. She is also known by her honorific title Malika-e-Ghazal (The Queen of Ghazal) in both Pakistan and India and is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the ghazal genre of singing. Khanum was born in 1934 in Calcutta, British India, into a Punjabi Muslim family. She had four siblings — a sister and three brothers.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Her sister is the famous singer, Mukhtar Begum. Their entire family moved from Amritsar, Punjab, to Lahore, Pakistan, when she was 18 years old. She started learning Khayal, Thumri, and Dadra from Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan of Patiala gharana. As a child, her sister Mukhtar Begum would take her to the Khan's place for regular riyaaz (practice of classical music). Her family moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Farida Khanum gave her first public concert in 1950 at the very young age of 15, and then joined Radio Pakistan, where she gained recognition for her singing talent. She became a star when Pakistan's president Ayub Khan invited her to a public recital in the 1960s. Farida also acted in films, and also sang songs for films. She has been a frequent...

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