Pakistan's most celebrated and world renowned Sufi singer Abida Parveen underwent a successful emergency heart (angioplasty) surgery at Doctors Hospital here on Sunday after she suffered myocardial infarction (heart attack). "She is stable and out of danger," Chief Executive of the hospital Mohammad Sarwar told newsmen.
The 56 year old Larkana born winner of the Presidential Pride of Performance (1982) and Sitara-e-Imtiaz (2005) awards was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening after complaining of chest pains during a musical performance which turned out to be a heart attack. Doctors performed an angioplasty on her blocked artery and installed a stent, Sarwar said.
Doctors said she is out danger but will remain in hospital for at least five days under strict observation. She has been advised not to perform for at least two months. The singer has millions of fans in Pakistan and across the globe, as she is one of the very few female singers in the world of Sufi music. She has become a legend and icon in her own lifetime.
Abida Parveen (born 1954) is a singer of Sindhi descent and one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music in Sindhi, Saraiki and Punjabi languages. She also sings Urdu ghazals par excellence. However her forte is Kafis, a solo genre in the three languages. She is also a devotee of Sufism.
A humble and passionate artist, she propelled onto the big stage with her memorising renditions of kalaams of the great Sufi poets of the world. She has attracted some of the biggest 'world music' record labels and has collaborated with the likes of Eddie Vedder and Peter Gabriel.