ARIZ Presents: Noori in NYC w/ Arooj Aftab July 1, 2012

Noori in NYC
One of Pakistan’s top pop bands, noori helped define Sufi-rock. Led by charismatic brothers Ali Noor and Ali Hamza, noori delivers a great rock and roll show with a distinctive subcontinent kick.

Noori’s debut 2003 album created whirlwinds across Pakistani communities all over the world and introduced the pop/rock music to the national mainstream. Its content was a departure from the usual pop diet of chummy love songs and focused on inspiring the youth of Pakistan to take up the responsibility of doing something worthwhile for themselves and others. That initial hopefulness is tempered now, resulting in more complex thematic and musical explorations that continue to push the boundaries.

“As one of the leading names in Pakistan’s music industry, noori is often credited for revitalizing rock music for Pakistan’s youth.” (Coke Studio, Pakistan)

Photo Credits: Alex John, Jawad Zakariya, Mandana Zaidi
Arooj Aftab
Arooj Aftab innovates off classical Pakistani, Sufi & pre-partition South Asian music, creating original compositions honoring ancestral roots, for a sound that is fresh, graceful, and musically complex.

Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, Arooj moved to the U.S. in 2005 to study Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College of Music. She had already cultivated a tremendous fan base in Pakistan. Through exposure to diverse musical genres and incredibly talented artists in Boston and in New York City, Arooj is inspired to continuously develop her art and deepen her understanding of the possibilities of music. Layering subtle, intricate, dynamic vocals over acoustic instrumentation, Arooj skillfully re-imagines indigenous soul with signature ‘cool.’

Arooj will soon be releasing her debut album as part of Rebuild Pakistan, an initiative she created to promote a vision of peace and healing for Pakistan, inspiring a global community to rebuild perspective on Pakistan, and urging the people of Pakistan to actively engage in rebuilding their homeland. The album and the initiative harness collective creativity to express solidarity with politically stigmatized, economically marginalized, culturally and spiritually powerful people across the earth.

Aftab’s ethereal voice swirls and dives in the delicate, complicated motions of her country’s long musical heritage. ~ The Boston Globe

Arooj filled the space with her gentle yet surprisingly forceful vocal style. ~ MTV Desi

Arooj has the unique ability to combine her training in traditional vocals with western instrumentation in a way that is both accessible to Western audiences and still very culturally unique. ~ Anoushka Shankar

A girl like this, with drive and ability and goals, she’s going to inspire a lot of people. That’s how you get evolution. ~ Steve Vai

Official Website: http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/3503