Zarina Baloch (Urdu: زرینہ بلوچ) (29 December 1931 – 25 October 2005) was a Sindhi folk music singer, vocalist and composer from the Sindh province of Pakistan. She was also an actress, Radio and TV artist, writer, teacher for over 30 years, political activist and social worker. She is notable for her revolutionary songs and resistance against the military dictatorship of General Zia[2][1]
Zarina Baloch | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zarina Baloch 29 December 1931 |
| Died | 25 October 2005 (aged 74)[1] |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Occupation | Folk singer[1] |
| Spouse | Rasul Bux Palejo (married in the 1960s)[1] |
| Children | Ayaz Latif Palijo (son)[1] Akhter Baloch (daughter) (from her first husband) |
Early life and family
editShe was born on 29 December 1931 in Allahdad Chand Village, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan her mother, Gulroz Jalalani, died in 1940 when Zarina was six years old. She studied with Mohammad Juman, who was also a Sindhi singer. At the early age of 15 years, her family arranged her marriage with a remote relative. She had two children: Akhter Baloch also known as Zina (born in 1952), and Aslam Parvez (born in 1957). However, Baloch and her husband disagreed on the subject of her further education and the pair were separated in 1958. Baloch joined Radio Hyderabad in 1960 and received her first Music Award in 1961. Then Zarina married Sindhi politician Rasool Bux Palijo, their marriage took place in Hyderabad on 22 September 1964 and they had a son, Ayaz Latif Palijo. In 1967, she became a teacher at the Model School Sindh University. She retired in 1997 and died in 2005 of Brain Cancer in Liaquat National Hospital.[citation needed]
Imprisonment and political activism
editIn 1979, Zarina was arrested and imprisoned in Sukkur and Karachi jails for leading the protests against President General Zia ul Haq's Martial Law. Because of her struggle against the ruling classes and against gender discrimination, feudalism and martial laws of Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan, she earned the title of JeeJee (mother) of the Sindhi people.[1][3][4] She was one of the leading founders of Sindhiani Tahreek, Women's Action Forum, Sindhi Adabi Sangat and Sindhi Haree Committee. She was fluent in Sindhi, Urdu, Seraiki, Balochi, Persian, Arabic and Gujrati.[citation needed]
Awards and recognition
edit- Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1994[1]
- Faiz Ahmed Faiz Award[1]
- Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) Award[citation needed]
- Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Award[citation needed]
- Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Award[citation needed]
Art and literary contributions
editShe wrote many songs and poetry which became popular among the nationalists in Sindh and Balochistan. She was the author of several stories and poems, and her Book "Tunhinjee Gola Tunhinjoon Galhion" was published in 1992.[citation needed]
Famous songs
edit- Mor Tho Tilley Rana
- Sabhka Moomal Sabbko Raarno
- Tunhnjii Yaarii
- Sindhri tey sir ker na dendo
- Kaang Lanvain
- Guzrii Vaii Barsaat
- Bbii Khabar Na Aahai Par
- Kiin Karyaan Maan
- Jjariyan Bhar Jaaiyoon
- Saavak Rat main Saanvara
- Paee Yaad Aaya
- Gehraa Gehraa Nairn
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Palija, Khair (27 October 2005). "Jiji Zarina laid to rest". Dawn. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Hemani, Shumaila (2 November 2017). "Music: Pakistan". Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures. Brill. doi:10.1163/1872-5309_ewic_com_002126.
On the other hand, the Sindhi folk singer Zarina Baloch (b. 1931), a student of Ustād Mohammed Jumman, became known for singing revolutionary songs written by Shaikh Ayaz and other Leftist poets to resist the military dictatorship of General Zia.
- ^ "HYDERABAD: Jiji Zarina Baloch remembered". Dawn. 26 October 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ In loving memory: Jiji Zarina Baloch remembered The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 26 October 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2018