“Disco Deewane”, Nazia Hassan with Biddu and His Orchestra

15185352-DSC02354

One of the great things about digging for records is that from time to time you come across something you never expected to find. This can be some great album by a band you’d always admired, or just as frequently, something completely unknown that you buy on instinct, only to end up learning something in the process. This was the case with Nazia Hassan, which I bought, I’ll admit, out of pure curiosity. I’d never heard of her, just looking at the cover, I was scratching my head–what the hell is this doing in Lima? How exactly did it get here? Who thought to press this particular LP of early 80’s Indian disco?

The explanation, it turns out, is actually pretty simple: thirty years ago, through the obscure magic of globalization, Nazia Hassan, a 15 year-old Pakistani vocalist recording in London, was a hit in Peru and across Latin America. (If this sounds hard to believe, check her out on YouTube, and see how many of the comments are written in Spanish.)  Nazia would eventually be known as Pakistan’s “Queen of Pop”, and this 1980 album, her first, broke all sorts of sales records in India and Pakistan. Disco Deewane (recorded with legendary producer Biddu, who has given up music to be a writer, of all things…) went on to sell some 14 million copies worldwide, and the title track was a number one hit in Brazil. By the end of the decade, she was the most popular singer in Pakistan, and when she passed away in 2000 at the absurdly young age of 35, Pakistan lost an icon. She was posthumously awarded the Pride of Performance, the country’s highest civilian honor.

I love these stories, love knowing that music has always been and will continue to be a language people of all backgrounds can share. And it’s easy to hear why Nazia was such a hit: you don’t need to speak Urdu to feel this.

This past August 13th marked the 10th anniversary of Nazia Hassan’s death. Quite coincidentally, that’s also the day I came across the record while browsing in downtown Lima. Here are two tracks: “Teray Quadmon Ko” and “Dil Mera”.

15185354-P1060329

Terra Y Quandmon Ko by Nazia Con Buddú Y Su Orquesta

Terra Y Quandmon Ko

Dil Mera by Nazia Con Buddú Y Su Orquesta

Dil Mera

Hope you enjoy.

— franz tunda

 

 

 

5 thoughts on ““Disco Deewane”, Nazia Hassan with Biddu and His Orchestra

  1. Its not an Indian Disco, It is Pure Pakistani music saga. In fact pop music started in South Asia from Pakistan. So calling it Hindu disco may not be relevant.

  2. Pingback: Instrumental Indian Music Industry - Wikipedia Music - Instrumental Music

  3. Nazia Hassan, she was Pakistani and was born in Pakistan, but she studied in England. There she recorded all her albums in England. Millions of Pakistani immigrants live in England looking for work and study. UK is to Pakistanis what USA is to South Americans, “Land of opportunity”. I don’t know who came up with the title “Disco Hindu”, because Nazia Hassan was a Pakistani Muslim not an Indian Hindu, I’m guessing Biddu came with the title “Disco Hindu” he was a Indian Hindu man living in England where he recorded music with Nazia and Zoheb Hassan. Biddu was much older than Nazia and Zoheb Hassan and Biddu didn’t have a good voice that is why he only produced the albums and worked on the music, he did not sing. Nazia and Zoheb Hassan sang all their songs and they also wrote many of their songs, only a few were written by Biddu. Zoheb worked with Biddu in composing the music.

Leave a Reply