{"id":27400,"date":"2023-11-23T01:42:12","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T01:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/natasha-nooranis-ronaq-is-danceable-and-defiant-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-23T01:42:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T01:42:12","slug":"natasha-nooranis-ronaq-is-danceable-and-defiant-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/natasha-nooranis-ronaq-is-danceable-and-defiant-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Natasha Noorani’s ‘Ronaq’ is danceable and defiant | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is much to learn from its emotive genius and singer’s collaborative efforts<\/p>\n

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\nKARACHI:
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\u201c<\/span>Cham, cham, cham, mera toot gaya<\/em> button \/ Ammi maarengi<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s as if someone told Natasha Noorani, \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t dare!\u201d \u2013 and so she did, and out came <\/span>Ronaq<\/em>, her debut LP, representing everything she is, has been, and will unapologetically continue to be. The album, however, wasn\u2019t made on a whim, and it certainly wasn\u2019t made out of enmity. With six fresh songs to add to her earlier releases, Ronaq <\/em>is a paradigm shift for the singer, songwriter, ethnomusicologist, and more.<\/p>\n

Known for her avant-garde musings that traverse the spaces between R&B, pop and neo-soul, Natasha\u2019s <\/span>Ronaq<\/em> puts the spotlight on her fun, flamboyant, and carefree side. From having a super complex sound with busy arrangements, it presents a stripped-down version of the musical \u2018traces\u2019 she left behind without abandoning the cornerstone of her vision. Ronaq<\/em> is catchy and accessible, yet, from a distant past, reimagined for a distant future. It isn\u2019t perfect, but there is much to learn from its emotive genius and Natasha\u2019s collaborative efforts.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think I wanted to create a body of work that really reflected me. Because all of the work I was getting was kind of myopic in its approach to what I could create,\u201d Natasha reflected in conversation with <\/span>The Express Tribune<\/em>. A showcase of her range, Ronaq <\/em>does justice to the vocalist and musician \u2013 and vice versa. Her genre-bending abilities, coupled with her producers\u2019 musical expertise, lend Ronaq<\/em> a unique sound and aftertaste. Talal Qureshi boasts production credits on eight out of the 10 tracks on the album while Abdullah Siddiqui offers his soundscape to Choro<\/em> and Baaz. <\/em>\u201cThis version\u201d of Ronaq<\/em>, as per Natasha, took two years to make.<\/p>\n

Turning point<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFor my dissertation, I was exploring Pakistani music from the 1940s-1980s, including songs by Naheed Akhtar, Runa Leila, M. Ashraf and Sohail Rana. If you go out today and tell someone to listen to a Sohail Rana song, they\u2019ll refuse to believe it\u2019s Pakistani because it\u2019s \u2018too electronic\u2019. That\u2019s the kind of Pakistan-iyat I wanted in my music. I took my research to Talal and since we both have this Lollywood <\/span>chaska<\/em>, there was a natural exchange of references. When I had started with Choro<\/em>, I was making a completely different album, but as soon as I did this, Talal made the beat for Nishana<\/em>. That was a turning point,\u201d shared the artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cTalal was also very helpful in getting me out of my shell because if you listen to <\/span>Choro <\/em>and then to Nishana, <\/em>you\u2019ll hear two very different women. Ronaq<\/em> is also my first full-fledged studio effort. And to be in a studio and understand the technical end of things is a completely different ball-game. This whole album has a lot of analogue synthesizers. The hook of Raazi<\/em>, for example, is something I did and I felt very empowered during the whole process,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

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If you go out today and tell someone to listen to a Sohail Rana song, they\u2019ll refuse to believe it\u2019s Pakistani because it\u2019s \u2018too electronic\u2019. That\u2019s the kind of Pakistan-iyat I wanted in my music. — Natasha Noorani<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Breaking down \u2018Ronaq\u2019<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ronaq <\/span><\/em>touches upon the themes of friendship, loss and dreams of self-actualization while blending old-school, subcontinental pop with modern electronic music to create a sound (read, genre) that Natasha calls, \u2018Lolly-pop\u2019. The album features a variety of collaborators due to which, every song holds its own. This is interesting because neither track is connected to the next but sets the tone for it. <\/span>Haan, I Know,<\/em> for example, is the perfect prelude to Ronaq <\/em>while also being a playful overture to Choro<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Haan, I Know<\/em> is interesting because it\u2019s a sample of Zoe Viccaji\u2019s interview with Ahsan Khan. It was so nice to hear Zoe say, \u2018I really like Natasha Noorani,\u2019 but right after that, Ahsan replied, \u2018Natasha is\u2026 haan<\/em>.\u2019 Talal and I had a laughing fit because I thought that’s the silliest thing anyone could\u2019ve said. Meaning no ill will but we were like, what a phrase? \u2018Natasha is\u2026 haan.<\/em>\u2019\u201d The song also hears Natasha introduce the album like a journey that listeners are set to embark upon; \u201cPK420 Ronaq rawangi keliye tayyar hai<\/em>\u201d a flight attendant is heard saying in the midst of the 2-minute track that features a groovy staccato baseline, crazy vocal effects and lyrical randomness that catch you off-guard.<\/p>\n

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