Nagore E. M. Hanifa Biography 
Nagore E. M. Hanifa was a Tamil Muslim Politician, associated with DMK party. No major DMK party event is complete without the music concert of Hanifa, and he was actively singing for his party even at the ripe age of around 90. He passed away on April 8, 2015, leaving behind a void no one else can replace. Hailed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as "Isai Murasu", which literally means musical drum, he was associated with the party since 1950s. He associated with noted playback singer K. Rani since 1960s to record many political songs for DMK. Hanifa was also known as a playback singer. Karunanidhi is an avid fan of Hanifa, who never misses a chance to listen to his songs during the major events of the party. Now his son, Naushad Ali is following his legacy and sings for party events.
His full name is Esmail Mohammed Hanifa, born on 25 December 1925 in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. Hanifa rose to fame as the ‘voice’ of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and he has sung many of party anthems. He has played a significant role in popularizing the party among masses. He had close relationship with none other than former CM Karunanidhi and other party leaders like Periyar, C.N. Annadurai and many more. Despite having a strong influence in the party and people, he was not successful in politics. He was a member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Council in the early 1970s.
He also sang many popular Tamil Muslim devotional songs, apart from DMK party songs, in praise of leaders like Karunanidhi. He hailed from Nagore in Nagapattinam district. Both his father and elder brother were singers though they didn’t take music as profession. His father worked in railways in Malaysia. He was not earning enough to support the family. That’s how Hanifa entered into the world of music.
Published: N/A
Updated: February 05, 2016
