In the last few years, the Nooran sisters, as singers Sultana and Jyoti Nooran are called, have found fame and a consistently rising fan following across the country. But the sudden celebrity status has not any changed the way the two think, perform or conduct themselves. They remain deeply tied to their roots.
“It’s our music. It keeps us grounded and connected to Him,” says Sultana Nooran, her index finger pointing to the roof. We meet the two backstage at Tagore Theatre just before their performance for the grand finale of an amateur dance contest. A signature salaam and Namaste follows and the two get talking.
Dressed in traditional clothes, the sisters remain grateful to their audience for having appreciated their style of singing and more importantly, the content. At a time when there are advisories being issued to Punjabi singers to refrain from glorifying gangsterism, guns and alcohol, the songs sung by Nooran sisters – be it ‘Allah Hoo’, ‘Duniya Matlab Di’ or ‘Jogan’ - seem all the more relevant. “Firstly, we don’t sing songs. We sing kalaams. For us the song has to connect with the soul and the Almighty,” says Sultana as Jyoti pitches in, “We don’t really follow commercial songs and feel everyone should sing meaningful numbers. We sing with a lot of ibaadat.”
“More than recording for a song in a studio, we love to perform on stage. We connect with the audience as well as Him.” — Jyoti Nooran
The two who shot to fame for ‘Patakha Guddi’ in Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Highway’ are in perfect sync when it comes to the way they think and perform. “Music is in our blood and it connects with our soul. We have been singing as kids. I was just four when I started singing,” says Jyoti who dismisses any plans of going solo. “Please don’t recommend it. We complete each other,” she quipped.
For Sultana, the journey this far has been no less than ‘amazing’ and she admits it’s got much to do with their training under their father and love for Sufiyaana kalaam. “We are blessed to have a darbar at home. When people looked down upon girls singing, my father stood up for us. He supported us all through,” says Sultana. For the uninitiated, the Nooran sisters hail from the Sham Chaurasia gharana of music. “Music is worship for us. We have sung everywhere from homes to jagrans and weddings. We connect with the higher up and it isn’t just a profession,” says Jyoti who also mentions a forthcoming project in Bollywood. “You will hear about a new song soon,” she says while Sultana points out, “We are not against fusion Sufi. But yes, we prefer to sing pure Sufi and not surprisingly we are approached with similar work too. Everyone knows what our forte is.”
The last couple of years have seen them perform live across the country and overseas. “More than recording for a song in a studio, we love to perform on stage. We connect with the audience and Him. Over the years we are amazed to see how people love Sufi. We never really imagined it would be so well accepted,” said Jyoti before readying to hit the stage at Tagore Theatre.
