(17 November) marks the birthday of legendary singer Runa Laila. To honour the iconic artiste, Coke Studio Bangla is releasing a special song on the occasion of her birthday.

The song, Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, is the eighth release of Coke Studio Bangla’s third season. Prior to this, the platform’s most recent release was the song Café, which came out on 24 October.

Over her illustrious 60-year musical career, Runa Laila has performed songs in 18 languages, including Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English, earning admiration across the subcontinent and beyond.

Following the passing of composer and musician Bappi Lahiri, Runa Laila shared two photographs with him on Facebook, expressing deep shock and sadness at his death. She described him as a good friend and recalled their performances together on stages around the world.

She noted that saying goodbye to such a talented artist was difficult and remarked that he had the potential to achieve even greater heights.

The period also saw the passing of other renowned musicians, including Lata Mangeshkar, marking a sombre time for the music industry.

Many of Runa Laila’s songs, including classics from Hindi cinema and Pakistani films, continue to be cherished by audiences across generations.

Now stepping into her 72nd year, she has completed six decades in music. Over this time, she has sung more than ten thousand songs and gained widespread popularity throughout South Asia.

Runa Laila is regarded as one of the most celebrated musical artistes of the subcontinent. Her contribution has helped take Bengali music from Bangladesh to audiences around the world.

In recognition of her achievements, she has received numerous honours, including Bangladesh’s highest civilian award, the Independence Award.