Zarsanga

Zarsanga is a Pakistani singer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who specializes in Pashto folk music. She performs across international stages and remains a prominent figure in traditional vocal arts.

Early life and education

Zarsanga was born in 1946 in the village of Zafar Mamakhel within Lakki Marwat. She belongs to the Kutanree tribe, which is a nomadic group that travels between the Pashto areas of Punjab and Sindh. These people often cover regions including Kohat, Peshawar, and the Bannu Road area from Dera Ismail Khan. Because singing serves as a primary profession for her tribe, she began practicing the craft at a young age.

She received no formal education during her youth. This lack of schooling means she cannot sing from written papers—she relies instead on memory and oral tradition. Most of her repertoire consists of songs composed by common folk, though her husband contributed some popular lyrics as well.

Career

A local musician named Mustafa discovered Zarsanga during a wedding performance when she was young. He introduced her to Rashid Ali Dehqan, who worked as a producer for Radio Peshawar. After an audition, the broadcasting company signed her, and she began performing her best known songs on Radio Pakistan. In her early years, she listened to artists such as Gulnar Begum, Kishwar Sultan, and Ahmad Khan to develop her style. She maintains a traditional way of folk singing that distinguishes her from others.

Her voice gained international attention through the observations of Miss Kia, a researcher from Radio France. Kia described Zarsanga's voice as the only mountainous voice in the Pashto language. Following this recognition, Zarsanga traveled to France for a music concert that received positive feedback. She has since toured extensively in Germany, Belgium, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Her discography includes the 1993 release Chants Du Pashtou and several notable singles. These tracks include "Zma Da Khro Jamo Yara" and "Rasha Mama Zwi De." In 2018, she appeared in a promotional video for the eleventh season of Coke Studio Pakistan. She performed the song "Rasha Mama" alongside the band Khumariyaan and singer Gul Panra. This specific performance reached over 6.8 million viewers on YouTube after its release on 16 August.

Personal life

Zarsanga married Malla Jan in 1965, and he is a nomad from Sarai Naurang. While some people claim she is married to the singer Khan Tehsil, she denies these rumors. She clarifies that Khan Tehsil is actually her husband's cousin. The couple has nine children, consisting of six sons and three daughters. Her second-oldest son, Shahzada, also works as a musician.

She currently resides in the Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with two grandchildren and her sons. In July 2017, unidentified assailants burgled her home and stole most of the household valuables.

Awards and recognition

The Government of Pakistan honored her with the Presidential Pride of Performance Award for her contributions to folk singing. Various media outlets have also given her the title "The Queen of Pashtun Folklore." In 2000, she won the Best Singer award at the PTV Awards.