Preserving & Researching Pakistani Music History
The talk will discuss Natasha Noorani’s research as an ethnomusicologist and practitioner of Pakistani popular music. Themes explored will include socio-political impact on music and culture in Pakistan between the 1960s and 1980s.
NATASHA NOORANI
Natasha Noorani is a musician, festival director, manager and ethnomusicologist from Lahore, Pakistan.
Lahore Music Meet, Pakistan’s premier music festival, is founded and directed by Noorani. In 5 iterations, LMM has showcased 150+ artists, conducted 200+ sessions and panels, and welcomed thousands of audience members. LMM partners with major players in Pakistani music, including Pepsi and EMI.
Previously, Natasha served as the General Manager for Coke Studio Season 10 and subsequently took over as manager for top Pakistani band Strings overseeing the release of their album 30. She has also served as a Marketing Executive for the radio station CityFM89. In these capacities Noorani has managed hundreds of professionals. Through her work in management and festival organization, Natasha is now a critical community organizer for musicians across the country.
Noorani has a diverse range as a singer-songwriter, playback singer and voice-over artist. While pursuing contemporary pop music, she has also been training in khayal gayaki, and was awarded the Goethe Talents Scholarship in 2019. Her solo EP Munaasib is inspired by r’n’b, neo-soul, and prog rock. Natasha is part of the band Biryani Brothers, and has collaborated on recordings with Strings, Sikandar Ka Mandar, Ali Suhail, Talal Qureshi, Gentle Robot & Jamal Rahman. She has also recorded on soundtracks for the films Baaji (2019) and Chalay Thay Saath (2017).
Peshkash, is Noorani’s project to archive and promote 20th Century Pakistani music. Insights from her archival work have been published in Dawn and Herald. Noorani regularly curates music and musical histories for outlets such as NTS and the British Council. Currently, Noorani is working on an oral history of the Pakistani music industry.
Natasha holds a MMus in Ethnomusicology, from SOAS and a Bsc. in Political Science from LUMS. She has been recognized by UNESCO as a Creative Entrepreneur and liaison for music and cultural development. Natasha has also held teaching assistant and research positions at LUMS.
