Zoheb Hassan, one half of the iconic 80s pop duo Nazia and Zoheb, shared a touching tribute to Ratan Tata, the Indian industrialist and former chairman of the Tata Group, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86. Zoheb Hassan recalls how Ratan Tata came to his and Nazia Hassan’s home to get them to record Young Tarangoheb Hassan, one half of the Indian pop duo Nazia and Zoheb
Zoheb wrote a touching post on Facebook about the first time he and his late sister Nazia met the man they didn’t know was a giant in Indian business.
Tata proposed a project to the Hassan siblings at the beginning of the 1980s that would change the South Asian music scene. Zoheb’s mother had informed them, “You have a telephone call from some gentleman named Mr. Ratan,” Zoheb and Nazia. They had no idea that the gentleman who spoke so humblely over the phone was about to assist in the release of the groundbreaking album Young Tarang, one of the most significant achievements for the duo.
Zoheb recalled how Tata approached them to record the album for CBS India without ever mentioning his numerous accomplishments. From the beginning, it was clear that he was humble. He spoke very softly and had a gentle smile on his face. When he spoke, he seemed so sincere. Zoheb wrote, “We had no idea who he was, and he never bragged about himself.” He was amazed at Tata’s demand that their parents and a lawyer review the agreement before proceeding.
