Abida Parveen

Abida Parveen is a renowned Pakistani Sufi singer, composer, and musician. Born on 20 February 1954 in Larkana, within a Sindhi Sufi family, she was mentored by her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, a distinguished music teacher and singer. Parveen's instrumental skills include the Pump organ, Keyboard, and Sitar. Gaining prominence in the 1990s, she initiated her global tours in 1993, marking her first international performance in Buena Park, California. She's a staple in Pakistan's Coke Studio and has judged the pan-South Asia show, Sur Kshetra, alongside notable names like Runa Laila and Asha Bhosle. Her appearances span across various music reality shows in India and Pakistan. Distinguished as a "Global Mystic Sufi Ambassador," Parveen's extensive repertoire includes ghazals, thumri, khyal, qawwali, raga, Sufi rock, classical, semi-classical, and her signature, kafi. Her multilingual singing prowess covers Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Arabic, Persian, and even Nepali, with the noteworthy rendition of "Ukali Orali Haruma." Her passionate singing style is especially notable in tracks like "Yaar ko Humne" from Raqs-e-Bismil and "Tere Ishq Nachaya," based on Bulleh Shah's poetry. Recognizing her immense contribution to the music industry, the Government of Pakistan honored her with the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2012 and the Nishan-e-Imtiaz in March 2021. Abida is globally recognized as one of the pinnacle figures in mystic music.