Eve of independence: Munni Begum enthrals audience at RAC

Acclaimed singer keeps people spellbound with her popular ghazals

RAWALPINDI: Famous Ghazal singer Munni Begum mesmerised the audience at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) late on Monday night and received a standing ovation from them.

The musical night was arranged by the RAC in connection with Independence Day celebrations. The acclaimed singer kept the audience spellbound by singing her popular ghazals like 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Sharabi, Ek Bar Muskura Do, Tumhare Sheher Ka Mausam Bada Suhana Lage, Idhar Zindagi Ka Janaza Uthey Ga' and others.

A large number of music lovers, including Additional Commissioner Tariq Salam, Naheed Manzoor, ANF Director Riaz Soomro, Director RAC Waqar Ahmed and a large number of families attended the event. The show continued late into the night as the audience requested Munni Begum to sing several ghazals of their choice. The youngsters in the jam-packed hall not only danced to the melodious lyrics but made selfies with Munni Begum, who was in the city after quite a long time.

Born in Murshidabad, West Bengal, India, Munni Begum first started taking music lessons from the famous singer Ustad Khwaja Ghulam Mustafa Warsi. Subsequently, she studied at a school of music for three years. Her parents migrated from India to East Pakistan in early 1950s. She studied in PAF Shaheen School, Dhaka.

However, she moved to the then West Pakistan before graduating from high school. She began her career as a singer in Karachi in 1970s and released her first album of Ghazals in 1976. As some of her Ghazals became hits, she earned fame as a popular Ghazal singer.

In recognition of her services, the government awarded her the Pride of Performance award in 2008.  

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2018.