Pak band Noori talk about music and India

Pakistani rock band Noori has massive fan following in India, especially after its Coke Studio performances. The band, however, still feels there is a long way to go before it establishes itself in the country.

It might have been on and off in the music industry, but Pakistani rock band Noori has massive fan following in India, especially after its Coke Studio performances. The band, however, still feels there is a long way to go before it establishes itself in the country.

“In Pakistan we have been around for 10 years and people have been following us for a bigger catalogue of songs. They have grown up listening to our music and know the lyrics of every song. In India, however, we feel as if we are garnering a new audience altogether and it is a journey that has just begun. The Indian audience has more exposure to different genres of music and is much more receptive to different styles, when compared to the Pakistani audience. It is a different experience playing in both countries,” say the duo of Ali Hamza and Ali Noor, who chatted with us over e-mails as part of their upcoming performance in the NH7 weekender music festival in Delhi, on November 30 and December 1.

The 10-year-old Pakistani band feels that live shows form an essential part in the growth of an artist. “The true test of an artist is to go on stage, perform live and be able to interact with the audience at another level, which will make them experience the true essence of the song. An album is just a representation of what is possibly live. Live performances are extremely vital,” they say.

About Noori
Although the band’s name was coined in 1996, the band members claim that they didn’t enter the industry completely till 2002. Since then, the band has come up with two albums. Their song Do Dil earned them the Best Rock Song award during the MTV Music awards in 2008. The song’s video begins with the actual footage from 1996.

“Noori has thrived on the audience feedback, we have only released two albums in 10 years and it is through our interaction with the audience and live performances that we have been able to manage our way through limited content.”