Melody Queen Noor Jehan (With Audio CD)

Compiled & edited by:    S.M. Shahid


Editor's note:
[This] book...is perhaps, the first published book on Noor Jehan in English. It contains articles written by prominent Pakistani writers and published in national newspapers and magazines... [which] extensively cover her life and work of nearly six decades.

The CD accompanying this book has 20 unforgettable numbers of Noor Jehan selected from a vast treasure of her songs sung between 1942 and 1968.

Review:
"She caught the showbiz bug at the tender age of seven, grew up in Lahore, Calcutta (Kolkata) and Bombay (Mumbai), acted and sang with musical giants and ruled over the film world for over six decades. Rarely had an artiste in the subcontinent achieved such an enviable position in her lifetime as Noor Jehan, the Melody Queen. With her exceptional voice, extraordinary talent and a charming face, Allah Wasayee of Kasur, became an institution in herself.

She was the only artiste who could bask in her glory in her own lifetime as writers waxed eloquent in praise of her. Whether it was Shaukat Husain Rizvi, her first husband, or Saadat Hassan Manto who made 'naughty' remarks at her, people were charmed by her. When she died in 2000, even more tributes poured in.

Melody Queen: Noor Jehan has nine pieces written after her death and which appeared in national newspapers as obituaries and tributes. Compiled and edited by S.M. Shahid, himself an accomplished student of the art who is well-versed in the intricacies of Indo-Pakistani music, this book contains pieces which have been carefully selected. Shahid's own contribution is the most challenging - the selection of the best songs with their description in terms of the technicalities of music. These songs are preserved on a CD that comes with the book.


Noor Jehan lived a full life. From stage acting to dancing and playback singing, from love affairs to culinary pleasures, she had a lifestyle of her own. Hers was a multi-faceted personality.

The Melody Queen offers a glossy overview of the various aspects of her life and art. While Sarwat Ali undertakes a detailed journey into her life from a singing child to a celebrity, Sultan Arshad touches the technical aspects of her singing. Khalid Hassan wraps up her life with accounts of personal encounters with the artiste which makes it interesting and also revealing. There are quotes, "I am Noor Jehan because I have worked hard to become Noor Jehan" and answers to intriguing questions, which did she consider her best song (Badnam mohabat kaun kare) to make Khalid Hassan's piece readable.

M. Rafiq takes a nostalgic look at her life, specially the events that led to some bickerings. Saeed Malik terms her as the voice of the century. Zafar Samdani recalls her role in the promotion of art; Zia Gurchani presents a comprehensive view of her art.

A chapter contains tributes from the living film artistes, playback singers, vocalists, composers and stage artistes. But the last piece by Shahid is remarkable. It is a tedious and arduous task to select a few songs from among thousands and then interpret them in the technical phraseology of music. Commonly film composers do not confine themselves to a certain raag and tend to embellish a composition with manifold raags. The 20 compositions selected were set by Master Ghulam Haider, Sajjad Hussain, K. Dutta, Shiyam Sundar, Naushad, Firoz Nizami, Hunslal and Bhagatram, Akhtar Hussain, Khwaja Khurshid Anwar, Tafu, and Rashid Atre.

To say that Noor Jehan was a great artiste does no justice to her true status in art. In a society where singing and dancing are still considered a taboo, this book is a real tribute to a legend that was Noor Jehan."
Shaikh Aziz, Dawn, 3rd March, 2002

Melody Queen: Noor Jehan (with audio CD)

Track    Title
Track 1    Tu Kaun Si Badli Main Meray Chaand   
Track 2    Badnaam Mohabbat Kaun Karay   
Track 3    Tum Hum Ko Bhula Baithay Ho   
Track 4    Kis Tarah Bhoole Ga Dil   
Track 5    Kia Mil Gaya Bhagwan   
Track 6    Mere Bachpan Ke Sathi   
Track 7    Aawaz De Kahan Hai (with Surendra)   
Track 8    Jawan Hai Mohabbat   
Track 9    Aaja Meri Barbad Mohabbat   
Track 10    Aaj Ki Raat Saaz-e-Dil-e-Purdard   
Track 11    Aaja Tujhe Afsana Judaee Ka Sunaen   
Track 12    Kalli Kalli Jan Dukh Lakh To Crore   
Track 13    Chand Hansay, Dunya Basay   
Track 14    Jis Din Se Pia Dil Le Gaye   
Track 15    Banwari Chakori   
Track 16    Dil Ka Diya Jalaya   
Track 17    Aye Watan Ke Sajeelay Jawano   
Track 18    Chalo Achha Hua Tum Bhool Gaye   
Track 19    Seyoni Mere Dil Da Jani   
Track 20    Jiara Tarse Dekhan Ko   

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