ज़ोहराबाई अम्बलेवाली

फिर आह दिल से निकली, टपका लहू जिगर से
शायद वो जा रहे हैं, छुपकर मेरी नज़र से
कह दे ये उनसे कोई, गुज़रे ना वो इधर से
मालूम क्या थ्हा दिल पर, इक ये सितम भी
होगा
आयेंगे और आकर, फिर जायेंगे वो दर से
कह दे ये उनसे कोई, गुज़रे ना वो इधर से
वो जानते तो होंगे, मजबूरियाँ हमारी
हम जिनको देखते हैं, हसरत भरी नज़र से
कह दे ये उनसे कोई, गुज़रे ना वो इधर से
हम हो गये पराये, अब उनसे वासता क्या
कह दे ये उनसे कोई, गुज़रे ना वो इधर से

A noted classical singer, Zohra bai Ambale wali belonged to the first generation playback singers of Hindi cinema. Born into an orthodox Muslim family, Zohrabai’s introduction to music was through the gramophone records playing in her home in Ambala (now in the Punjab).
Recognizing her musical talent, Zohrabai’s grandfather put her under the tutelage of Ghulam Hussain Khan and Ustad Nasir Hussain Khan. The latter trained her in the Agra gharana (school) of Hindustani music, and it was this robust, unrestrained style of singing that Zohrabai brought to film music.
She began her career as a radio artiste, singing mainly classical and semi-classical numbers. She also cut albums with HMV, the leading gramophone company of the time. Music Director Pransukh Nayak gave Zohrabai her first film song in  Daku Ki Ladki (1933). She subsequently sang for music director Naushad Ali in Rattan, delivering such hits as Aai Diwali aai Diwali and Akhiyan mila ke, jiya bharma ke. In fact, most of the singer’s famous songs, including those in Anmol Ghadi, Mela, and Jadoo, were to come under the music direction of Naushad Ali.
Zohrabai retired in the late 1950s to help her daughter, the noted kathak dancer Roshan Kumari.

Zohra Bai Ambalewali was a frontrunner to Shamshad Begum in vocal style singing and used it quite brilliantly. Naushad, the famous music composer was highly impressed by the quality of her voice and he used her style of singing in most candid way in his songs in 1940 and 1950.
The tantalizing quality of her film songs during the decade of 1940 still creates a great deal of nostalgia for music buffs across the sub-continent. Her contribution to make the quality of music more refined is widely acknowledged especially in South Asia.

ohra Bai Ambalewali was among the first lot of singers to sing for films in 1930-1940. She made her singing debut at the tender of age of 13. For the first time, she lent her voice in 1932 for the recording of various songs that were marketed by one of the leading gramophone company of that time, His Master's Voice 

Later she ventured into the big league with the Hindi film industry based in Bombay (Now Mumbai) with a bang and also recorded several hit numbers one after another.
The film composers that used her voice for the first time were the legendary composer Naushad Ali and Hafiz Ali Khan. However, her big break arrived when several of the songs recorded by Naushad for the film Rattan (1944) created new records in popularity at the box-office.
The songs were so palatable that it made waves across the length and breadth of the country despite the fact that majority of the people could not understand the meaning of the lyrics. Rattan, an extremely successful film, established the career for the director Sadiq, Naushad, the composer and of course the singer, Zohra Bai Ambalewali.
She began riding up the popularity scale with each passing day. The embankment of singers like Zohra Bai Ambalewali was a gift for the Hindi music industry for future singers to come. A superb platform was left by her to inspire many.

Zohra Bai Ambalewali died in 1990 at the age of 72 but not before she had contributed significantly to the refinement of film music in sub-continent.

Aankhon Mein Intazaar Ki Duniya Liye Huye  
baithi Huun 
baithi Huun Dil Mein Teri Tamanna Liye Huye  
aankhon Mein Intazaar Ki Duniya Liye Huye 
ban Jaavo Tum Bahaar Dil-e-naamuraad Ki  
a Jaavo Zindagi Ka Sahaara Liye Huye  
baithi Huun Dil Mein Teri Tamanna Liye Huye 
aankhon Mein Intazaar Ki Duniya Liye Huye 
har Simt Dhuundhati Hain 
har Simt Dhuundhati Hain Tumhiin Ko Nigaah-e-zauk 
pahalu Mein Apane Dard Tumhaara Liye Huye  
baithi Huun Dil Mein Teri Tamanna Liye Huye 
aankhon Mein Intazaar Ki Duniya Liye Huye