Birth name Shaperai (Fairy)
Born January 1, 1964 (age 46)
Origin Kandahar, Afghanistan
Genres Folklore, Pop
Years active 1970–present
Labels Afghan Vision Records, Ariana Records
Naghma born as Shaperai is a prominent Afghan singer who started in the early 1970s. She and her ex-husband, Mangal, were a popular musical duo who dominated Afghan music scene during the 1970s and early 1990s. Naghma sings in Pashto and Dari (Persian). Her music is popular in Afghanistan, western Pakistan and Tajikistan.
Early years
Naghma was born as Shaperai (Fairy) on January 1, 1964, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.[1] She belongs to the Pashtun ethnic group. As a young girl, she developed an interest in music. Her early songs were based on Kandahari songs, most of which were folkloric in nature but were essential in training the novice. After moving to Kabul, Naghma held various jobs, all the while pursuing her passion. Coming from a traditional family, she met with much resistance from relatives who saw singing as a demeaning career for an Afghan woman. However, Naghma was not discouraged by this. Naghma became joined a musician-turned-singer Mangal, a fellow Pashtun from Laghman Province of Afghanistan, and eventually married him.
Career
The pivotal point of their career came with the hit single "Malek Janah" The song was immensely popular and, to this day, remains the couple’s most memorable. Soon after this song came "Mazdigar di ka na dai" another popular song that enlivened the radio stations of not only Afghanistan but Pakistan and some African countries as well. A number of moderately successful albums followed, after which they performed in a series of well-received concerts. Naghma has around 5000 songs on her credit. In addition, she has performed in dozens of concerts around the globe.
Private life
With impending civil war, the couple left Afghanistan for Pakistan in 1992. There, they became very successful with an enthusiastic crowd of Afghan exiles who were nostalgic for their native music. Their financial situation by this time had improved significantly. In the late 1990’s, they left Pakistan and immigrated to the United States.
After establishing contact with the Afghan community of northern California, the duo held a series of performances. However, Naghma and Mangal have since divorced, citing Mangal's alleged continual alcohol abuse, and the couple has been sensitive about elaborating further on the issue. Their divorce has also cast a doubt as to whether this former pair can reconcile at least on the professional level. While Mangal performs solo in private events and television programs, Naghma is continuing her career as a professional artist. She is known to be very patriotic of Pashtun culture (Afghan culture) and has dedicated many songs to Afghanistan.
It is believed that in 2007 she along with her four children left returned from United States to settle in Islamabad, Pakistan, after finalizing her divorce from Mangal in that same year.
Recent developments
In 2010, Naghma’s new single ‘oh bacha’ was released under Mardomi Film Banner. But her success was in 2006 with the song called ' Mohabat' this was the first time she had sang a pop song. It is a favorite club remix and the accompanying video is also Kabul TV station’s most requested video. The song is one of the highest ranking Afghan songs in the world. Also in that year, Naghma returned to Afghanistan to give a round of concerts in various cities with Naim Popal, another popular Afghan singer. During her concert held in Kabul, the crowd showered the singer with rose petals.
References
Profile: Shaperai Naghma
External links
For Official fan website: Click here
For Naghma on Facebook: Click here
For Pictures Gallery Click here
