Pakistani legendary singer Nayyara Noor died on Sunday morning at the age of 71. 

“It is with heavy heart that I announce the passing of my beloved aunt (tayi) Nayyara Noor. May her soul R.I.P. She was given the title of ‘Bulbul-e-Pakistan’ because of her melodious voice. #NayyaraNoor,” the singer’s nephew Rana Zaidi wrote on Twitter. 

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The cause of death was not known but according to local reports, the legend had been under treatment for the last few days. Her funeral will be held at 4pm on Sunday. She is survived by her husband, Sheharyar Zaidi, and two sons, Ali and Jaafer.

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Who Nayyara Noor?

Popularly known as Bulbul-e-Pakistan, Nayyara Noor was born in Guwahati, Assam, India in 1950. She was 71 years old. 

Her family, merchants, long-settled in the north-eastern Indian state. Noor’s father was a member of the All-India Muslim League and had hosted Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah during his trip to Assam before the partition in 1947.

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Noor, at the age of seven, with her mother and siblings migrated to Pakistan, settling in Karachi. However, her father stayed back in Assam until 1993 to look after the family’s immovable properties. Nayyara Noor reportedly was inspired by bhajans of Kanan Devi and Kamla as well as the ghazals and thumris of Begum Akhtar during her childhood. 

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With no formal training or background in music, Noor was discovered by Professor Asrar Ahmad at the Islamia College in Lahore. She was singing for her friends and teachers at an annual dinner at the National College of Arts in Lahore in 1968. She was then asked to sing for the university’s Radio Pakistan programs.

Noor’s career spanned over several decades. She made her public singing debut in Pakistani television serial in 1971. She has sung ghazals by poets like Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. She won multiple national honours including the title of Bulbul-e-Pakistan alongside the Pride of Performance Award in 2006