Madame Noor Jehan and Urdu’s Best Song Ever

i think this is a great article

Noorjehan has always been the one woman, who not only defines art with her talents but also the essence of the South Asian Music Industry. Her caliber to keep the same pitch for an extended period, and her talented display of feelings which can be easily noticed with listening to the wordings of the songs, simply proves the skill and devotion NoorJehan initiates in each and everyone of her songs. Noorjehan is simply the epitamy of what a SuperStar should be. A living legend, and a true patriot. There`s no wonder why a museum under her name exists in LONDON. She is well appreciated by millions, and her voice captures the heart and souls of millions.

I am 24 years old, and since i was a kid i have always appreciated music. Noorjehan was always one I could listen to when I needed a motivaing factor. Yes, fcourse I turned to Allah also. But some of the words and the way she expresses the words helped me move on from my troublesome situations. I would turn on my walk-man and begin to run at the gym. I would replay one song over and over again, so I can feel better about myself, ``kende ne naina`` . everytime i hear this song, i would smile and express shyness in my face, as if she was singing this song to me. I havent had the opportunity to meet her, but if i do, i would like to thank her for providing me with a motivating factor in my life.

I do also give credit to her unsurpassing support for the nation, where at one time as my mother tells me : she cancelled her shows in Dubai, and Tokyo to come home for the support of our soldiers during the war of 1971. Noorjehan for her sacrifices should be mentioned in the Encyclopedia of the World, as she is mentioned so highly in Stanley Woolpert`s book on ``Praise be for Jinnah of Pakistan``.

Indo-pak subcontinent, poets and vocalists have yet to present a piece of work anywhere closer to this one, ``Mujh say pehli see mohabbat``. An excellent worded poetry and beautifully sung by Madame Noor Jehan. Just superb!

``Mujh se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mere Mehboob na Maang`` is no doubt an immortal melody and very well sung by Noor Jehan.

Roohi A Ditta

Well threre are two ways you can look at it.

First music is haram in islam and how may ever any singer according tome is a sinner. Secondly everybody has a right to express his/her voice. Unless what that person says becomes liable. Well that is my oppnion and anybody reserves the right to object me; Keeping in mind they do that in a civilized and a nonliable fashion.

I wrote this article in early September of this
year. It somehow got held back at CHOWK and I`m
glad that it could get published here. I wrote
this one BEFORE the article on Lata Mangeshkar,
which somehow made it to print here first.
Ratings are subjective. I have received feedback
via personal e-mails about this rating of ``Mujh-
se-Pehli-si-Mohabbat`` as the best song in Urdu
ever. And my mind has not changed.
The original from the film ``Qaidi`` and a version
on ``Ghazal`s from Faiz Vol ?`` (My copy has
died due to overuse) are the best. Others may not sound as good.
Anyway, I last heard that Madame was receiving
treatment at Agha Khan Hospital in Karachi. This
article was meant to recognize her and help her recover when she was in the USA.
And yes, it does offend some readers if their
favorite artiste is not rated along with or ahead
of Noor Jehan (One person swore that Mehdi Hasan
was the the absolute King and got upset). But
as I said personal biases do come into play.
The magic created by the words of Faiz and the
voice of Madame is just too much to ignore.
On the personality level, some of the replies
may be right. But talent and mastery are sometimes
accompanied by ``difficulties``.

Ras H. Siddiqui

Noor:

Degrading Nur Jehan, Lata and Naheed Akhtar in one go. Have you no shame?

I agree with slink. I have nod idea why desis like high-pitched irritating voices. And `sweet` voice is not the only thing needed to produce good music. One has to carry the tune as well. Neither Nur JehaN nor lata mangeshkar can do that. They cannot go beyond the simple melodies in film songs. I just bought a tape of Ghalib`s ghazals sung by various singers. It was heart-wrenching to listen to Naheed Akhtar, Rafi and Nur JehaN absolutely killing those beautiful ghazals.

I think PTV and Bollywood are responsible for engendering this poor taste. Singers like Mehdi Hassan Farida Khanum, Iqbal Bano, Malika Pukhraaj are far, far superior to Nur Jehan or Lata.

While Noor Jehan`s rendition of `mujh say pehli si mohabbat meri mehboob na maang` is not bad, it is nowhere close to the best. I suggest Ras sahib listen to some hard core ghazal, and then pass this judgement. My current favs for anyone who`d listen:

Mehdi Hassan`s rendition of Momin Khan Momin`s delightful ghazal `naawak-andaaz jidhar deeda-e-jaanaaN hoN gay`.

`Tum aur fareb khao bayaan-e-raqeeb say`..sung by Farida Khanum.

Ghalib`s ghazal `muddat hui hai yaar ko mehmaaN kiyay huay` sung by Iqbal Bano

Re: Shandana

I know you are not alone feeling that way. It is your generation and even generation before yours who did not have the opportunity to listen to Nur Jehan when she was young. Her voice and her skill for signing is unparallel. I know there are a lot of songs sung by her that I do not want to hear but that does is no reason to take away what she has done in her earlier years right up to ``Ghalib`` and ``Neend`` and a lot of films in between. If you had heard her songs of Pattey Khan, I am sure you could not have written this comments.

Dupatta, Intezar, Heer Ranja, there a number of films that were made unforgettable by the beautiful voice of Nur Jehan. I love most of her songs but I dislike her personality.

smalik

i know this is a little bit like putting my head on a block and handing someone an axe, but i`d just like to get something off my chest.i`d also like to tell you beforehand Ras, that most of this is not a criticism of your article, it`s about the way we create idols.
imho nurjehan is the most irritating singer this side of the indus.her voice is annoyingly sweet.i feel the same way about lata.reshma and abida perveen are much better. she was an awful dancer..and her acting career wasn`t very succesful because people realised that the only thing lurking behind those breasts was a complicated network of underwire. yes she was a good singer with a voice that, in tandem with her face, has captivated generations of men and women alike. nurjehan herself is very aware of this and has used this power over the years to attack any female singer who she feels is threatening her status, not something a woman idolized by millions should be doing.
the other thing i dislike about her is that she is always dressed like benazir bhutto would have dressed if she had a better tailor. since benazir has an absolutely terrible tailor you can safely assume that wouldn`t be much of an improvement. since nurjehan has been a pinup woman for so many, the damage her constant and exxagerated `donning up` has done to a mans perception of what a woman should be like is probably immeasurable.
i think we have too many sacred cows.

Ras:

I enjoyed this article, though I must admit I couldn`t help feeling you did this on the run.

My all time favourite Nur Jehan rendering is a toss up between MOODDAT HUI HAY YAAR KO MEHMAAN KIYAY HUAY by none other than the greatest Urdu poet of ALL times Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, and JAWAn

HAI MOHABBAT HASEEn HAI ZAMANA.

Your tribute also brought forth a strange query.

How would our ethnic, provinicial, national psyche be different if there were no Nur Jehan?

Would we be better, worse or indifferent?

regards

What can I say. I don`t think I have as broad an awareness of Pakistani music to rate songs, but the article was beautiful. Malika-e-Taranum deserves all the praise and more. The richness she has added to Pakistani and Urdu/Punjabi culture is beyond valuation. In a time when sadly, our own people (hypocritically under the name of Islam) question and deny our heritage in art and culture at large, she is one of the few examples (another being NFK)who easily puts all of these confused thoughts aside.

She is one of the remaining treasures of a place called Pakistan.

As for the song: vocally I don`t know, but the lyrics of the song certainly come from the best poet- (ever?:))

While there isn`t, and can never be any quarrel about the quality of Madame`s rendition of Faiz`s ``Mujhse pehlee see mohabbat`` particularly the PTV remix done perhaps in the early 90s.....there is one other song which ranks at least equal to this one

`` Aa bhee jaa, aa bhee jaa,

mujh peh guzree hai kyaa

terey intizaar mein``

from Intizar, penned by Tanver Naqvi, compsoed by

Khwaja Saheb [Khwaja Khursheed Anwar.

Never before, or since, have situation, words, composition and rendition have been so perfectly matched in film music.