Natasha Noorani

Natasha Noorani (Urdu: نتاشا نورانی) is a Pakistani musician, singer, songwriter, playback singer, voice-over artist, and ethnomusicologist from Lahore. She is the co-founder and festival director of Lahore Music Meet (LMM).^[1] She is known for her "Lolly-Pop" style, which is a combination of retro subcontinental and electronic pop music.^[2][3] Natasha has also performed at Boiler Room's first-ever Pakistan edition.^[4][5][6]

Noorani has been passionate about music from a young age, coming from a musically inclined family.^[7][8] She has a BSc in Political Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and an MMus degree in Ethnomusicology from SOAS University of London.^[1][9] Natasha was the only Pakistani to be awarded the Goethe Talents Scholarship in 2019.^[10][11]

Natasha began formally began her music career in 2014 as a part of the duo indie band, Biryani Brothers.^[12] Her debut EP Munaasib, was noted by the indie music scene prior to her receiving the Goethe Talents Scholarship^[13][14][11]. She was launched into mainstream music in 2019 with her first Velo Sound Station single "Baby Baby", made in collaboration with Bilal Maqsood.^[15][16] Noorani's first song from her debut album RONAQ called "Choro" was one of the most played songs on CityFM89 in 2021.^[17][18] She has been an ambassador for Spotify's EQUAL Pakistan campaign.^[19]

Noorani has experimented with various genres including R&B, progressive rock, neo-soul and Lollywood pop.^[20][1][21] She has been trained in khyal gayaki by the Pakistani qawwal and Sufi singer, Akbar Ali.^[22] Her collaborations are with versatile artists such as Hasan Raheem, Abdullah Siddiqui, Takatak, Talal Qureshi, Sikandar Ka Mandar, Shorbanoor, and Strings.^[1][7][23]

Additionally, she has experience as both a playback singer and voice-over artist.^[20][10] Noorani has also recorded soundtracks for local films such as Baaji (2019) and Chalay Thay Saath (2017).^[24][7]

She has received UNESCO recognition as a Creative Entrepreneur and actively serves as a consultant for diverse cultural projects, including the British Council Pakistan and Music Connect Asia.^[25] Noorani has also been a promoter of local talent via curating music for various entities such as NTS. She has also curated the 2020 and 2021 Pakistan Super League (PSL) anthems and Coke Studio Season 14.^[24][26] In Coke Studio Season 10, she held the position of General Manager.^[11][27] This led to her managing Strings, overseeing the release of their album 30.^[24][15][11] In addition to her various endeavors, she has worked as a Marketing Executive at CityFM89 radio station.^[24]

Peshkash, the brainchild of Noorani, is a notable undertaking that seeks to archive and promote 20th century Pakistani music.^[28] Insights derived from her archival work have found publication in Dawn and Herald.^[29]

Her social work also includes creating a song "Pyaar Banto" for Down Syndrome awareness in collaboration with Ali Hamza, Nafisa Khalid, Bilal Ali, and Haroon Shahid.^[30]