Hadiqa Kiani

Hadiqa Kiani is a Pakistani singer, songwriter, guitarist, actress, and social worker. She has performed at prestigious international venues including the Royal Albert Hall in the UK and The Kennedy Center in the USA. Her musical repertoire extends beyond Urdu and Punjabi to include various local and international languages.

Early life and education

Kiani was born on 11 August 1972 to a Gakhar family in Rawalpindi. She is the youngest of three siblings, including her sister Sasha and her brother Irfan Kiani. Her father passed away when she was only three years old. Her mother, Khawar Kiani, served as a principal of a government girls' school and was also a poet. After recognizing her daughter's musical talent, Khawar enlisted Kiani in the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. She began receiving her early musical education from her teacher, Nargis Naheed.

While she attended Viqar-un-Nisa Noon Girls High School, Kiani represented Pakistan at several international children's festivals. These events took place in Turkey, Jordan, Bulgaria, and Greece where she won various medals. She also participated in the weekly PTV musical program Rang Barangi Dunya, which was hosted by Sohail Rana. During her eighth-grade year, she moved from Rawalpindi to Lahore. There, she continued her classical training under Ustad Faiz Ahmed Khan and Wajid Ali Nashad.

Kiani pursued higher education in the field of psychology. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Kinnaird College for Women University. Later, she earned a Masters in Psychology from the Government College University in Lahore.

Career

In the early 1990s, Kiani hosted the children's TV music program Angan Angan Taray. She sang over one thousand songs for children during this 3.5-year run alongside music composer Amjad Bobby and later Khalil Ahmed. Because of her extensive work on the show, PTV presented her with the title of "A+ artist." This distinction placed her alongside legends such as Noor Jehan and Naheed Akhtar. She also worked as a VJ for the music charts program Video Junction on NTM.

Kiani released her debut album, Raaz, in 1996. The record produced several radio hits and established her as the first female singer to release a pop album following the career end of Nazia Hassan. In January 1997, she became the first Asian singer to perform on BBC One's British National Lottery Live. This broadcast reached an estimated viewership of 16.6 million people. Following this success, she toured 15 states in the USA and several cities in Canada during 1997. That same year, she represented Pakistan at "Celebration Hong Kong 97" at the Happy Valley Race Course.

Her second album, Roshni, arrived in 1998. During this period, she recorded "Intehai Shauq," which served as the official theme song for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. The single "Dupatta" became a notable hit, and its music video drew inspiration from the film The Matrix. Her sixth single, "Boohey Barian," is widely regarded as one of her best works. The Roshni album sold over one million copies in Pakistan and earned platinum certification. It was also ranked number 15 in a list of the 20 best local pop albums in the country.

In September 2002, Kiani released her third album, Rung. She promoted the album through various singles such as "Ranjhan" and "Mahi." The video for "Mahi," directed by Asim Raza, featured Kiani playing a vampire to convey messages against stereotyping. In 2004, she won the Best Female Pop Singer Award from Indus Music. Her influence was further recognized when she was ranked ninth in a list of the 10 most influential Pakistani pop acts.

Kiani released her fourth studio album, Rough Cut, in 2007. This project was a collaboration with Aamir Zaki and made her the first mainstream Pakistani artist to release an album entirely in English. Before the album's launch, she appeared in the music video for "Iss Baar Milo," where she portrayed a patient in a mental hospital. In April 2007, she released the single "Living This Lie" and was named "Hotstepper of the week" by The News.

Personal life

Kiani experienced her first divorce during the period surrounding the release of her album Rung. She has maintained a professional presence in the industry throughout her personal transitions. Her mother, Khawar Kiani, has contributed to her musical career by writing lyrics for her songs.

Awards and recognition

Kiani has received numerous accolades throughout her career. She was named one of the BBC 100 Women. Her achievements include receiving Nigar Awards and being named a Member of the Order of Excellence. She was also recognized as the most popular woman in Pakistan through a national Unilever survey in 2002.