Fariha Pervez: Bringing a different sound

The singer talks about her latest release ‘Jhoom Ja’, which features Ali Noor.

LAHORE:

Last month, Fariha Pervez — one of the leading female singers of the country — made waves with her trendy new release “Jhoom Ja” which features music by the rocker Ali Noor. The collaboration not only provided something different but also brought forth something Pervez’s fans had never heard before.

“I am going for something different,” said Pervez, who admits she has been trying to break the monotony in her music. “In the past, I focused on catering to the tastes of the audience but it had become a little monotonous and now I hope to experiment and try different things.”

The singer’s latest track “Jhoom Ja” provides a glimpse into the evolving sound that has been coming into Pervez’s music. The video of the song shows Parvez going on a shopping spree with friends — Mishi Khan and Sasha Zaidi — but it’s the sound of the song that is significantly different. With a 90s western pop rock feel to it, the song exudes a sense of youthfulness. “When people from different genres come together, it can do wonders,” said Pervez who also wrote a few lines of the song.

In the hope of expanding her music horizons, Parvez has recently taken up numerous challenges. For instance, she started training in classical music and has been practising thumri and ghazal regularly. The versatility allows her to perform tributes, ghazals( pop and even in Pashto), Pervez explains. “I always preferred singing live and it’s my dream to record in a live environment,” adds the singer, who recently started to release videos from her home studio with a live band. “In order to improve musically, you have to constantly struggle and put in your best effort to make good music.”

In the pipeline

Other recent projects include her collaboration with Nouman Javaid for the song “Tere Naina”, which is scheduled to be released soon. She said Javaid’s unique musical background gave the song an added oomph. The song was recorded at Bari Studios in Lahore.

“It’s a fascinating love song with a beautiful melody,” adds Pervez. “It’s interesting because Nouman really tries to follow Gulzar when penning down lyrics.”

Although, the singer has no plans to release an album any time soon, she reinstates that her focus will be on recording and releasing new material that will showcase a diverse array of sounds and ideas.

When asked if she would like to work in India — a fast-growing trend among musicians in Pakistan these days — the singer replied, “I have never been against the idea, it’s just that I never pushed for it,” she said. Although she has becone experimental in her singing, Pervez does not deny the possibility of acting in the future. “You never know, I always have liked the idea of acting and doing a couple of my own productions or sitcoms.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2012.