Entertainment Desk : dhakamirror.com
The 72nd birthday of legendary Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila was celebrated in Dhaka on Sunday.
A celebrated artiste with over 10,000 songs in 18 languages, Runa Laila’s channel offers a mix of Bollywood hits, Bengali folk, and patriotic songs, cementing her legacy in the global music scene.
She expressed gratitude for the love and support that has been pivotal in her career spanning over 60 years.
Runa has been honored with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Independence Award. Reflecting on her birthday and career, she expressed gratitude, saying, “I am deeply thankful to the Almighty for His blessings. The admiration and love I have received are overwhelming, making my journey truly rewarding.”
Born on November 17, 1952 to parents Emdad Ali and Amina Laila in Sylhet, Runa Laila started learning music at the age of six in Karachi in the then West Pakistan.
She received rigorous training from Ustad Habibuddin Khan and Abdul Quader Piarang. She was also trained in ghazal under Ustad Ghulam Qadir, the elder brother of legendary singer Mehdi Hassan.
At the age of nine, she won the interschool music competition. At 19, Runa hosted her own television series fortnightly in Pakistan called Bazme-Laila, which was widely acclaimed by critics and audience.
This was the moment where the concept of performing alongside singing was introduced, and Runa made it her unique style. She could do it as she had a brief training in dance at a tender age.
She performed in major venues across the globe and got around 300 awards in different countries, including Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
