Here we have an eclectic duo, the ‘Biryani Brothers’, Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha: not just brilliant, unique artists, but also the founders of Lahore Music Meet (LMM), a festival designed to make, think, talk, and teach music.
Noorani and Paracha have certainly been succeeding in making their mark as patrons and makers of music. They were featured in an article on Forbes earlier this year in January, in which Noorani was quoted to mention how LMM is focused on ‘bringing everyone’s narrative into one place’. Even further, it was said that Paracha ultimately hopes to aid LMM into going international by taking Pakistani artists all over the world to showcase their talent.
However, LMM aside, these two are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to their passion for actually making music themselves. They started out as active members of the music society at LUMS (where both went to university) and progressed to performing at gigs like the one two years ago at hot hang-out spot Sattar Buksh in Karachi. It was at this gig that they first introduced their original song ‘Ikisvi Sadi’, and now it is this unique track with which the group ‘Biryani Brothers’ has made its debut.
The vocals, lyrics, and visual themes in the original track have a stunning creative depth. Noorani explains, it is about ‘trying to find your place in all the noise’: ‘I think the video is just that. Zahra and I are trying to find our place, presenting ourselves as honestly as we can; as a bunch of goofs who like making music. We’re taking some of the most celebrated visuals in contemporary Pakistani pop culture and seeing if that’s something that fits us.’
The music video certainly is something quite special. Most importantly, with its prominent themes of confusion and trying to fit in and be yourself, it is also quite relatable.
Here’s what Paracha had to say about what exactly prompted the idea behind the video:
The inspiration behind the video is our awareness of eras that we don’t belong to, that’s why the music is also slightly retro. We would be as out of place in those eras as we are in the current one.
The video and the music itself truly are a work of art. You don’t need to be an appreciator of music to be able to identify the sincerity of the message. We need more groups like the ‘Biryani Brothers’ who are willing to contribute to Pakistan’s music industry and bring some of its old glow back!