Zarina Baloch

Zarina Baloch is a Sindhi folk music singer, vocalist, and composer from the Sindh province of Pakistan. She serves as a prominent political activist and social worker who gained recognition for her revolutionary songs. Her work includes roles as an actress, writer, and teacher.

Early life and education

Zarina Baloch was born on 29 December 1931 in Allahdad Chand village, Hyderabad, Sindh. Her mother, Gulroz Jalalani, died in 1940 when Baloch was six years old. She studied music under Mohammad Juman, who was a Sindhi singer. At the age of 15, her family arranged a marriage with a remote relative.

She had two children from this marriage, Akhter Baloch (born in 1952) and Aslam Parvez (born in 1957). Disagreements regarding her further education led to her separation from her husband in 1958. She eventually joined Radio Hyderabad in 1960.

Career

Baloch began her professional journey in music and received her first Music Award in 1961. She worked as a teacher at the Model School Sindh University starting in 1967. She held this teaching position for 30 years before she retired in 1997. Her artistic output includes many songs and poetry that became popular among nationalists in Sindh and Balochistan.

In 1979, she was arrested and imprisoned in Sukkur and Karachi jails. This imprisonment occurred because she led protests against the martial law of President General Zia-ul-Haq. She fought against gender discrimination, feudalism, and the martial laws of Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan. These efforts earned her the title of JeeJee of the Sindhi people.

As a political leader, she helped found several organizations including Sindhiani Tahreek and the Women's Action Forum. She also participated in the founding of Sindhi Adabi Sangat and the Sindhi Haree Committee. Her linguistic abilities are extensive; she is fluent in Sindhi, Urdu, Seraiki, Balochi, Persian, Arabic, and Gujrati.

Her literary contributions include several stories and poems. In 1992, her book Tunhinjee Gola Tunhinjoon Galhion was published. Her musical repertoire features songs such as "Mor Tho Tilley Rana" and "Sabhka Moomal Sabbko Raarno."

Personal life

On 22 September 1964, Zarina married the Sindhi politician Rasool Bux Palijo in Hyderabad. The couple had a son named Ayaz Latif Palijo. She passed away in 2005 from brain cancer at Liaquat National Hospital.

Awards and recognition

The President of Pakistan presented her with the Pride of Performance Award in 1994. She also received the Faiz Ahmed Faiz Award and the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) Award. Other honors include the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Award and the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Award.