Watch: Natasha Noorani embodies different phases of moon in ‘Raazi’

Pakistani musician Natasha Noorani has unveiled her latest music video for her track Raazi from her debut album, RONAQ. Directed by the talented Hashim Ali, the video explores the mystical and romantic symbolism of the moon, as per a press release. Raazi is the sixth music video from Noorani’s debut album, RONAQ.

The music video for Raazi centres around the emblem of the moon. This is a timely motif given how the different phases of the moon are signalling important moments across the globe, through the solar eclipse and the sighting of the Eid crescent.

Noorani goes through these lunar phases in the video, starting from what is known as the waxing gibbous to the full moon. Viewers are reminded of the moon’s romance as a symbol of love and enlightenment. Both these themes are heavily referenced in Urdu poetry. The video’s construction by Hashim Ali and his team evokes mystical realms of stars, galaxies and celestial bodies. At the end of the video, Noorani embodies a celestial body herself.

South Asian viewers will see in the video the importance of the moon to their cultural imagery, from poetry, film and music. This video is Noorani’s attempt to push this imagery forward, as she has done with the rest of RONAQ which builds on her work as an ethnomusicologist.

In this capacity, Noorani has studied academically the history of Pakistani popular culture and looks for ways to introduce new references, motifs and homages in her work. Raazi provides another chance for her audience to contemplate their cultural heritage, as well as the spiritual nature of the moon itself.

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