Noori


Coming out of Lahore, Pakistan, this band of two brothers is considered one of the pioneering forces behind what is dubbed as the ‘21st Century Pop Revolution of Pakistan’. Ali Noor, 31, is a trained lawyer, while Ali Hamza, 28, is an Economics graduate from the top business school in Pakistan (LUMS). By moving away from the typical professional paths which society expected from ‘well educated Pakistanis’ like them, the two brothers decided to follow their passion – music. What they ended up doing was to set a precedent for so many others like them, who would usually not even consider pursuing their passion professionally.

noori is one of those bands which instantly took the market by storm. In fact, even before going public they had a dedicated fan following awaiting their arrival into the mainstream (this too was a first for any Pakistani act). Their debut album, Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan, was a record breaker for any debutant in the history of Pakistani Pop Music. Not just in terms of record sales, but the band performed over two hundred concerts within the first two years of coming out into the music scene.

It is this unprecedented success that paved the way for a lot of educated Pakistani youngsters – read intelligent musicians, to come out of the underground and pursue music on a full time basis.
In this sense noori stood out from the rest as a band putting out ‘intelligent music’, with special focus on their lyrical content. They consciously moved away from the well beaten theme of ‘puppy love’ and focused on motivating the Pakistani youth to do something worthwhile in their lives, and for their country.

The key theme running throughout noori songs is the need for sensitivity, firstly, towards oneself, to gauge one’s true desires and potential, and the consequent pursuit of those, and secondly, sensitivity towards society and the external environment, so that one can play a constructive role in its betterment. In a country like Pakistan, these ideas struck a serious chord with an energetic youth who were looking for someone to motivate and push them towards their ideals. noori thus became the first name in Pakistani Music to take upon a leadership role for Pakistani Youth.

To back it all up, the band pioneered a host of activities which later became standards for the emerging Music Industry of Pakistan. From garnering a strong and dedicated fan following, using intense web-based interactivity, to conceiving and co-developing month long media campaigns with top Pakistani channels, all the way to being the most prolific, energetic and interactive live performers in Pakistan, noori has established a name which is looked upon with respect and admiration not just by their followers but all throughout the Pakistani Media Industry.

Over a span of 6 years the band has put out two albums


  • (Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan – 2003,

  • Peeli Patti Aur Raja Jani Ki Gol Dunya – 2005),
they have performed over 400 concerts, self-produced 10 music videos and won 3 major music awards [Two time award winners at the Indus Music Awards :: Best Rock Song Category – Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan (2004), Nishaan (2006); 1st MTV (Pakistan) Video Music Awards 2007 :: Winner of Best Breakthrough Video – Meray Log].
International success is also on the rise as the band has toured Canada thrice in the past two years and once in Europe (August 2008 at the Oslo Mela, Oslo, Norway).
Currently, noori is working on their third album along with a Pakistani fusion-based project called Coke Studio (http://www.cokestudio.com.pk/). Their album is slated for release around June 2009.

‘noori’ is one of the pioneering rock bands from Pakistan. Comprising two brothers - Ali Noor and Ali Hamza, the band is known for its hard hitting impact in a multitude of interactive experiences, be they audio-visual, live, interpersonal or internet based.

noori’s emergence into the Pakistani music scene paved way for a whole new category of musicians to come out from the underground into the open. With highly energetic music and lyrics that every youngster can relate with, noori has also nurtured a dedicated fan base for itself - a phenomenon which has really picked up in the Pakistani musical scene ever since.

This unprecedented support has been strengthened with a highly interactive rapport (a la internet and fan-clubs) between the band and their dedicated listeners/fans.To top it all, noori is known as one of the most energetic and entertaining live acts to have ever hit the Pakistani music scene. The experience of a noori show is a rush of adrenaline that comes from the heart! No wonder they have performed over 375 shows since they went public in 2003.

With 2 albums out (Suno Ke Mein Hun Jawan - 2003 and Peeli Patti Aur Raja Jaani Ki Gol Dunya - 2005) and 10 videos aired (more than half of which have been made by the band itself), noori is definitely a creative name which is respected in the Pakistani music industry and loved by thousands worldwide.

Noori Official

Jal Videos


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About Jal

Jal The Band


Jal (Urdu: جل) is a Pakistani pop band founded by Aatif Aslum and Goher Mumtaz.
The original band members were Atif Aslam and Goher Mumtaz but later Atif left the band and then replaced by Farhan Saeed, and Shazi on bass guitar. The band is among the first of contemporary Pakistani bands that fuse Urdu vocals with modern Pop.

Formation and first years (2002-2004)

Jal was formed in Lahore in 2002 when Atif and Gohar Mumtaz composed their first song by the name "Aadat". Soon after, began their search for like minded musicians to complete his band. They ran into Shazi (Aamir), a bass guitarist and after a few jamming sessions invited Shazi to join Jal. Jal's first single "Aadat" was released in December, 2003. Before the release of its video "Aadat" was released of the internet through a local Pakistani web portal. The song enjoyed the status of the most downloaded Pakistani song on the internet for quite some time and was extensively popular by the time the video was released.
Directed by Umer Anwar the single burst into the Pakistani music scene and took it by storm. Receiving an amazing amount of air time by all the music channels and entering music charts. The video was rated 4th best video of the year 2003 by ARYThe Muzik within days of its release. The success of the "Aadat" can partly be gauged by the countless concert offeres the band recieived immediately after the release of the song and partly by its rating to date on music channels.
However, by the end of December, 2003 due to musical differences, Atif Aslam parted ways with the band while Gohar Mumtaz once again searched for a vocalist. It was then that Sultan Raja, Bassist of Call, introduced Farhan Saeed Butt to Gohar and thus Jal found a new voice. By the time Jal came up with their new line-up "Aadat's" video was already doing rounds on the local music channels with the former singer Atif Aslam's vocals. The song was thus re-done for the official release in their debut album Aadat.

Band Members:

Farhan Saeed:
Farhan Saeed Butt (Urdu: فرحان سعید بٹ) is the 25 year old lead singer of the Pakistani band Jal. Born on September 14, 1984, he is known for his distinctive vocal stylings.
At the tender age of 6, Farhan started showing his love for music. He grew up absorbedly listening to his father and his brothers sing. By the age of 9, he was already singing alongside his brothers and his father. Up until he took his O levels at Crescent, Farhan only sang among his family and friends at which time his greatest supports were his two brothers, Salman and Haroon Saeed, both talented musicians.
In 1999 when Farhan started his A levels at KIMS, he also started singing in front of larger audiences. He then was acknowledged by his fellow students and teachers and went on to win numerous competitions. In 2001, Farhan went on to National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences in Peshawar but then migrated the campus in Lahore for his bachelors degree. There, during a singing competition, Zulfikar Jabbar Khan ,a.k.a Xulfi eP, was siting in the audience and he was impressed by Farhan's classical yet modern-contemporary style. In mid-2004, Sultan Raja, bassist of another Pakistani band Call, introduced Farhan to Goher Mumtaz who was in search of a lead singer.
Apart from Jal's debut hit single "Aadat" which was re-done in Farhan's vocals, he has to his credit seven other tracks for the Jal's debut album which include "Rangon Main," "Ik Din Aaye Ga," "Lamhay," "Teri Yaad," "Manchala," "Har Jaga Hai Jal," "Panchi," "Dil Haray Pukare" and "Bikhra Hoon Main". Farhan has managed to capture the attention of audiences all over the world and have proven his vocal talents on various occasions.

Gohar Mumtaz:

Goher Mumtaz took his education from Divisional Public School Faisalabad. His inspirations were primarily Junoon. He started taking guitar classes from Faisalabad when he was in 8th class from imran.After that he went to Lahore for his masters in business administration from Punjab college for Business Administration. He is the lead guitarist of the Pakistani rock band JAL. He debuted in the band, "The Jupiters" in Late 1999. He formed JAL and first appeared with Atif Aslam in December, 2002. The band's first single was "Aadat".
Atif and Goher met at college at PCBA in Lahore, and first performed in various hotels in Lahore and Islamabad. After their first single Aadat Atif and Gohhar made their own bands. Atif made a solo album in 2004. Xulfiqar Jabbar (Xulfi), a member of Call band introduced Shazi, a bassist, Jal. Goher added Farhan Saeed after seeing him in a concert at Islamabad. All 10 tracks were by Goher Mumtaz. They released their 2nd album, Boondh, On November 13/14.

Aadat (2004-2006)

Jal released their debut album, "Aadat", which did well at the charts. Their first single "Aadat" topped the charts and stayed at the top for two weeks.
In 2006, Jal had created waves as the latest Pakistani band on the block, even as their album Aadat continues to climb the charts locally, and their track "Woh Lamhe" was a hit, even a year after its release. “What makes us special is our music and the compositions. They are a unique blend of pop and rock, with a subtle sufi influence.
Speaking about the rising popularity of a host of Pakistan-based singers in India, including the likes of Strings and Adnan Sami, Shazi, who is the bass guitarist, says, “For us, both the countries are quite different in terms of performing. It’s only the border that is common, and that is why we are different...India has totally a different type of music"
Jal is fond of Junoon, and is influenced by singers like Hamid Ali Khan and Mehdi Hassan.
Apart from the trip what’s keeping the band busy right now is also their next album, which Mumtaz promises, “Will be much more mature, as we’ve learnt a lot over the years.”

Boondh (2007-present)

In 2007 Jal released its second music album named "Boondh" and in 2008 released it in Mumbai, India.Goher Mumtaz, a guitarist, vocalist-composer and lyricist of the band, narrates how this band was formed.
"I always wanted to have a band of my own and a common friend introduced Farhan Saeed to me. Then we jammed together for five-ten minutes and thereafter we started our performances. We never looked back after 2003 album 'Aadat' was released. Thus, the band was formed, with the name 'JAL'."says Goher
The name suggests that the band is just a small droplet of water in the sea of music. "Boondh" which features Bollywood actress Amrita Rao in one of it's music videos has a total of 12 songs, including two unplugged versions and two remixes. Farhan Saeed, the lead vocalist of the band, explained in detail why the album was titled 'Boondh'.
"'Boondh' is not the name of any song in the album, but is basically the theme of the album and covers all the songs in it. The name suggests that we as a band are just like a small droplet of water in the sea of music, which covers Pakistan, Asia and the entire world where our music is heard. It is our small contribution to the sea of music," said Farhan.
This album focuses primarily on the pop and the soft rock genres. The album was followed by a live tour, mainly in South Asia, with concerts all over Pakistan, and a few places in India.

Awards and Honours



  • Within days after release Aadat's video was declared the 4th best video. It remained on the top of the charts for over two weeks since its video release.

  • Jal's single Woh Lamhey broke through to the charts instantly and stayed on the top for two continuous months.

  • Jal's video Ik Din Aye Ga was declared the 2nd best video among the top 100 videos selected by The Musik channel.

  • Jal's debut album Aadat was declared the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV by Mr. Khalid Sadaf (Owner of Sadaf Stereo).

  • Jal also received a special award by Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in recognition of their support and efforts to raise funds for fighting cancer in Pakistan.

  • In 2006, Jal won an award at MTV Asia Awards 2006, following an award Indus Music Awards for best rock band in Pakistan.

  • In 2008 Jal won a best song Musik Award for the song Chalte Chalte.

  • In 2008 Jal won a best song award, The Best video and the best album of the year at the Lux Style Awards.

Jal Official Website-jaltheband.com


Jal Videos


Jal Albums:



  • Aadat

  • Boondh

Atif Aslam

Atif Aslam (Urdu: عاطف اسلم) is a Pakistani musician. He was born in Wazirabad, Gujranwala on March 12, 1983 and was educated in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Early life

Atif’s kindergarten started in Model town Lahore at Kimberley Hall School. His first stage manifestation was in a fancy dress show at his school when he was in grade 1 where he performed as Imran Khan, the former captain of Pakistan's national cricket team. Since then cricket was like a passion to him. He was never tired of playing cricket for hours in his car porch whether it is scorching sun outside or even raining. At that time he was not used to listen any kind of songs. At the age of 9 in 1991 he was shifted to Rawalpindi/Islamabad where he continued his studies in Saint Paul's School. He started playing Basketball and he use to lead his school team for various matches. Atif came back to Lahore in 1995 where he continued his studies in Divisional Public School Model Town. For his immense passion for cricket he was selected in his school team as a fast bowler. Atif cleared his 10th grade in 14 years of age with a distinctive edge that he has always been the youngest boy in the class because of his double promotions while he was in Kimberley Hall. Atif started his FSc in PAF College Lahore. He was in his college team as well where he presented his college in other cities. Beside his studies he was putting his maximum time in practicing for the professional cricket. During his college life he come across with some interest in music. He attended Punjab Institute of Computer Science (PICS) to do his Bachelors in Computer Science (BCS). Aslam's eldest brother owned a collection of more than 8,000 songs of almost all music genres, from which Atif absorbed a wide range of music at home. As a good learner he quickly grasped the control of voice, though at that time he was not interested in singing. Aslam's passion was still to enter the Pakistani cricket team as a fast bowler and he was right on track while practicing at the net at the Shapes Club Lahore where Imran Khan used to come and give tips to him for bowling.

Start of Musical Career

The twist in the story comes when one day he was singing with his friends at the college canteen. His friends insisted him to participate in the singing on Independence Day celebrations at PAF College Lahore and Sargodha in 1998. He performed there and won the competition. After HSc, Atif Joined Punjab Institute of Computer Science Gulberg Campus. This time studies were much more demanding as compared to the previous ones. He was forced to sacrifice his time playing cricket in order to do well in school. However, his hobby of singing continued when he entered in the singing competition of his college, where there were a total of 8 participants. The media team entered Atif’s name in the competition at the eleventh hour and he won the competition singing a hit number of Pakistani band Strings' Duur.

Jal The Band

Aslam kept winning these competitions every semester. He found Goher Mumtaz, a talented guitarist, at this time. Together, they started doing mini concerts for their friends. Atif used to primarily sing songs from Junoon and Strings at these concerts. The size of the audiences kept on increasing. They performed concerts for their college, McDonalds and some other restaurants as well. Atif recorded the legendary song Aadat at Mekal Hassan’s Studio. Mekal injected his professionalism in the song to make it worth listening time after time. Goher formed the band and named the band as Jal, which means water, the essence of life. The song got popularity on the different musical websites on Pakistan. . The song was also played on such Pakistani radio stations. The music video for Aadat was shot one day in a warehouse in Karachi. Soon it came out to be a super hit, topping the Pakistani music charts. On the base of this one song, “Jal” began their tour of Pakistan—such was the strength of “Aadat”. However, Atif and Gohar conflicted upon some band management matters leading to a band breakup. Atif decided to launch his solo career while Gohar continued with Jal, seeking for new band mates

Solo career

"Jal Pari"Album Cover of Jal Pari.Atif Aslam, after leaving Jal, released a new solo album, Jal Pari (meaning "Mermaid") which was a big hit. Other than Aadat, 'Dil Harey', 'Woh Lamhey', 'Yakeen' became favourites of Pakistani music fans. Though his songs were liked by many, his first solo music video of 'Mahi ve' did not receive much praise. On the other hand Jal, with their album "Aadat" and hit music video "Woh Lamhay" emerged as one of the top bands of Pakistan. As both the Jal, “Aadat”, and Atif’s album, Jalpari, shared certain tracks (such as “Aadat”, “Wo Lamhey”, “Dil Harey”) an unofficial war over rights began which resulted in both sides claiming to possess hard proof to support their respective claims (that, they alone owned the concerned songs). The hype this feud gave to both Atif and the new Jal was extraordinary and split the music fans with the fans of each side backing their respective favourite.

Across The Border

Whilst the drama of lyrics & composition ownership continued in Pakistan, Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt called Atif Aslam to seek his consent to include "Woh Lamhey" in the soundtrack of his new motion picture, Zeher (2005). The song (especially the remix version) became a hit & dominated airplay on almost all major FM stations throughout India for a period of 6-8 months. This pattern of a slow playback song by Atif in the movie, supplemented by a remix version released for radio airplay was to become standard procedure with Atif’s songs on the Indian market.He recorded a song for the movie Kalyug (2005), entitled Juda Hokey Bhi - a slight variation of the ever famous Aadat song. Like with “Wo Lamhey / Bheegi Yaadein”, a slow version became the theme for the movie and part of the official soundtrack, whilst a remixed version was released to hit the radio stations and desi clubs worldwide.After recording for Kalyug, an Irani director in Hollywood contacted Atif and within very little time, Atif recorded three songs for that same director’s Hollywood movie, Man Push Cart and was rewarded with a small cameo role in the movie.Atif re-emerged in the subcontinent with a new track, “Tere Bin” (Without You) for the Bollywood Movie, Bas Ek Pal (2006). The song "Tere Bin", composed by upcoming music director Mithoon, who was also responsible for rearranging "Woh Lamhe" and "Aadat", became a hit in India and Pakistan.

"Doorie"

Album Cover of Doorie.In December 2006, Atif Aslam released his much anticipated album called "Doorie" along with the video of the title song "Doorie" in India and Pakistan. Some of the songs in the album include "Hum kis galli", "Maula", "O re piya". One of the most critically-acclaimed tracks was "Kuch Is Tarah", composed by past collaborator Mithoon.The album was produced in collaboration with Indian lyricists and composers. A month later the video of "Hum kis galli" was released. Like the video of "Doorie", it was shot in India. The album proved to be success. The videos of doorie (remix) and Ehsaas (included in both "jal pari" and "Doorie") were released one after another in the months of march/april.

"Hungaami Halaat"

The Bollywood style of music and videos in "Doorie" has diappointed many of Atif's fans in Pakistan who had been liking Atif for his "Jal Pari" style songs. About this Atif said "Touring internationally made me think that I should take my music global by releasing it worldwide. I collaborated with a lot of people and thought up a plan for a commercial album, which is not my type of music; which is not ATIF. I just wanted to explore that side of the music. When I composed and wrote these songs for Doorie, I kept in mind that this album has to be commercial". He also told that he would soon be releasing an album named Hangami Halaat which would be an original 'atif style' album. Regarding his videos he says "I think that was a requirement because the Indian audience can never accept my 'Mahi Vey' video or my 'Rangoun Mein' video. They have a different concept about a pop or a rock icon. He has to be a heart throb. Girls here can't sit on motor bikes, in India girls ride them. It's a different culture altogether. They (my Indian videos) are for an international audience

Controversies

Controversies began surrounding Atif from the beginning of his solo career. Many of Atif's critics accused him of stealing songs from former band mate Gohar Mumtaz. Both Atif and Gohar laid claim on songs like "Aadat", "Dil Harey", "Woh Lamhey" and "Zindagi". Still no one knows whose creations actually these songs are. Aadat was eventually released on both Atif's Jal Pari and on Jals album ironically named Aadat. Atif has been accused by many of his pakistani fans of spreading himself too thinly and due to the release of his commercial album (Doorie) which resulted in him releasing a the album Hungaami Halaat within a few months of Doories release.

Awards

  • Best song, Best Composition, Best Lyrics "Aadat"- 2nd Jazz Indus Music Awards (Pakistan)
  • Best playback singer, Best debut singer - Sahara Sangeet Awards (India)
  • Best Song, Best Lyricist, Best Composition - ARY Music Awards (Pakistan)
  • Most Wanted Male - The Musik Awards (Pakistan)BEST POP STAR OF THE YEAR in FILMAZIA AWARDS (pakistan)

Discography
Albums

  • Jal Pari (July 2004)
  • Doorie (December 2006)
  • Hungami Halat (Leaked February 2007)
  • Mer Kahani (2008)