Runa Laila

Born

1952-11-17

Birthplace

Sylhet, East Pakistan [now in Sylhet, Bangladesh]

Biography

Runa Laila is a Bangladeshi playback singer and composer. Widely recognized as one of the most prominent singers in South Asia, she is often referred to by the honorific title "Queen of Melody". Over her decades-long career, she has recorded songs in several languages, gaining popularity across Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Laila began her professional career in the Pakistani film industry in the late 1960s. Her early singing style was inspired by Pakistani playback singer Ahmed Rushdi with whom she frequently collaborated on duets. She gained profound international recognition with her iconic rendition of the traditional Sufi song "Dama Dam Mast Qalandar", which cemented her status as a legendary figure in South Asian music. A highly decorated artist, Laila has won the Bangladesh National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer a record seven times for her vocal performances in films such as The Rain (1976), Jadur Banshi (1977), Accident (1989), and Ontore Ontore (1994). She later won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Music Composer for the film Ekti Cinemar Golpo (2018). For her contributions to music and culture, she was awarded the Independence Award, the highest civilian honor in Bangladesh, in 1977.