Hadiqa Kiani

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Hadiqa Kiani : biography

11 August 1974 –

Hadiqa Kiani ( born 11 August 1974) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter and model.

Kiani released her first album, Raaz, in 1995. She was later nominated and won numerous awards in Pakistan and internationally. She has released five subsequent albums. Kiani was named "Best Pop Female Singer" in Pakistan. In 2009, Kiani became a judge on the Pakistani reality television shows Pakistan Idol and LG, Awaaz Banay Star. Recently, she has collaborated with the singer Atif Aslam.

Discography

  • Raaz – 1995
  • Roshni – 1998
  • Rung – 2002
  • Rough Cut – 2007
  • Aasmaan – 2009

Career

1998: second album Roshni

In 1998, Kiani began working on her second music album, Roshni (Light). The album was dedicated to her nephew Sonu (her elder sister’s son ). Kiani takes good care of her nephew and considers him a significant person in her life. The first single from the album, "Tu Nawa Tu Sada", was released before the album. Kiani then released a second single, "Inteha-e-Shauq". It was designated the official theme song for the Pakistani cricket team for the Cricket World Cup that year. Both songs, being patriotic, gained favourable reviews; however, "Inteha-e-Shauq" was much more successful. On 1 November 1998, Kiani released Roshni. Initial album sales were powered mostly by "Inteha-e-Shauq", which made the final listing of the album along with "Tu Nawa Tu Sada".

Kiani’s third single from the album, "Dupatta" was an instant success. Its video was inspired by the sci-fi film The Matrix and was the highest-budget video in Pakistan in 1999. "Dupatta" also gained more popularity than any other single Kiani had released before. The song is also listed in the Twenty Best Pop Songs Ever for Pakistan, where it is positioned at #15. The success of the song was attributed to its quasi-bhangra rhythm with fat, funky techno beats and Kiani’s "dreamy-meets-husky vocals" which made the results "stunning". In the wake of "Dupatta"’s, success Kiani became widely accepted as the country’s leading female vocalist.

Capitalizing on "Dupatta"’s success, Kiani released two other moderate hits, "Roshni" and "Woh Kaun Hai". The sixth single from the album, "Boohey Barian", became an even bigger hit for her than "Dupatta".

Kiani’s success in 1999 was highlighted when she won PTV World Viewer’s Choice Award for the best female singer in 2000. She also released a seventh single from the album, "Intezaar".

Roshni sold over a million copies in Pakistan alone. Kiani’s image also became a signature look in cities like Karachi. The album is listed in "The 20 Best Local Pop Albums Ever" for the country, positioned at #15. Kiani is just one of two female singers in the entire list, the other being Nazia Hassan. The review stated

This is the album with which Hadiqa finally overcame her reputation of being a folksy Nazia Hassan imitator. Glided across various different genres in a single album, from millennium techno to crisp FM Pop and the usual Folk-Pop thing. The brilliant production continues to be the highlight here.

In another list called "The 10 Best Local Pop Albums…ever" Roshni was placed at number 9. The review also highlighted Hadiqa’s rising status by stating

However, on the excellent and crisply produced "Roshni", not only did Hadiqa manage to ultimately become the next Nazia, but the way she so effortlessly glided through the many distinct genres she explores on "Roshni" (from Neo-Filmi-Pop to FM-Pop to Techno), elevated her status to being one of the post-modern Indo-Pak pop scene’s leading "pop diva".

Kiani’s success led to her being signed by Unilever for celebrity endorsement of Lipton Yellow Label in 2001. In 2002, she was signed again by Unilever for Sunsilk Shampoo. Throughout 2001 and 2002, she performed live concerts in the US, Canada, UK, Middle East, Far East, Australia, Norway, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.