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    Will Noori's New Album Revive Pakistani Rock Music?

    Launch of Noori's New Album at Fortress square, Lahore

    Written by: Mir Sanaullah Khan
    Posted on: October 12, 2015 | | 中文

    Noori singing 'Manwa Re' and 'Mujhe Roko' for the fans

    The Pakistani rock music scene has been quiet for some time now. Noori and Junoon’s popularity seems almost like a distant memory. Classic tracks like Manwa Re serve merely as nostalgia to the once-glorious past of a now stagnant music industry. However, all of that is about to change soon, because Noori, one of the front-runners of the music scene in the last decade, is back with a bang! Their new album, Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh, was officially unveiled on October 9th at Fortress square, Lahore with a hall full of fans forming long queues to buy the album. And why not, they waited ten long years for this day!

    At a time when Pakistani artists are hardly coming up with singles, it’s very spirited on the part of Noori to release a full-fledged original album. According to the band, that’s exactly what’s needed to keep the music scene afloat. The album contains nine songs, including the previously released Aik tha Badshah. Saya-e-Khuda-e-Zul-Jalal starts with the national anthem in a slow rhythm and low pitch, enough to give goose bumps to the listener. Moreover, the catchy composition of Hey ya will compel listeners to keep it on repeat for a long time. In short, fans will be listening to a lot of new as well as old tracks by Noori in the coming year.

    Launch of Noori's New Album at Fortress square, Lahore

    Ali Noor talking a photo with a fan

    Today in Pakistan, music is either streamed online or illegally downloaded from the web. However, Noori has taken a bold step by opting for Music CDs, and the long queues formed to buy the CDs are proof that the Pakistani public is ready and willing to support its musicians. Noori made a special post on social media to announce the sale of their CDs, and appealed that the fans get their music through legal means. The Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh CD comes with a booklet, which is Noori’s way of connecting with their fans. The tagline reads, “This album is dedicated to the potential of the people of Pakistan”, and rightly so! Allow me to share an excerpt from the booklet:

    "Dear Friend,

    This year, all the CD manufacturing plants in Pakistan officially closed down, stating that there is too much piracy, and that legally manufactured CDs are no longer viable. But Noori was not going to give up...so we decided to personally burn all the CDs, checked every one of them in our cars, put stickers on them ourselves, packed them in this beautiful booklet, and gave each one a unique number, so that this time around, we would get to know every single one of you who bought this CD. What you have in your hands is hours and hours of pure love and our faith in you…this CD and booklet inside is the only way you can hold our hearts physically in your hands. For us, this organic connection is absolutely vital..."

    This personal touch from Noori for each fan is priceless. The album has also been released on Patari.pk to cater to the people who could not get their hands on the CDs.

    The ceremony in Lahore was all set to start at 6:00 pm. Fans had started to arrive even before the starting time. Ali Hamza and Ali Noor were right on time to greet the fans in the hall. Just when they arrived, meet and greet queues formed and got longer and longer with time. Fans were going crazy to get their albums autographed and take ‘selfies’ with the band. No one could resist singing along when, upon persistent requests, the band took their guitars and started singing Manwa re and Mujhe Roko.

    Ali Noor and Ali Hamza with their parents

    Ali Noor and Ali Hamza with their parents

    Emotions were running high when Ali Noor and Ali Hamza’s parents arrived and waited in the queue all the way from the end to get their album signed. One could see in their eyes that they were extremely proud of their sons.

    Noori with Shiraz Uppal

    Noori with Shiraz Uppal

    The event was graced with special appearances by a multitude of celebrities, who came all the way to buy the album and extend support for Pakistani music. Umair Rana was present in the hall with his son to get his album signed. Hashim Ali and Hassan Omar showed up to show their support as well. Haroon Shahid and Shiraz Uppal also surprised with an entry. Sarmad Khoosat was also present in the hall to witness the beginning of the revival of Pakistani rock music. All these appearances added to the amazement of Lahori fans, who were overjoyed to meet so many celebrities under one roof.

    Following the grand opening in Lahore, Noori promoted Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh at Ocean Mall, Karachi on Saturday and at Safa Gold Mall, Islamabad on Sunday. They also plan to keep the promotions going on after Muharram.

    Is this really the beginning of the revival of Pakistani rock music? Only time will tell, but all the signs are positive, and we hope that this proves to be the spark that will get our industry going once again!


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021