Natasha Baig reminds us that it’s 2020 but still difficult for women to make it big in the music industry

KARACHI: How many mainstream, contemporary female musicians can one name when trying to name music albums? Not many. Firstly, album culture is dying a little for several reasons, but more than that, there are simply lesser women in the music industry. The few names that do come to mind are seasoned musicians like Hadiqa Kiani and Komal Rizvi, both of whom got a push during the late nineties and mid 2000s when Pakistani music scene was booming, and younger singers like Momina Mustehsan and Aima Baig just aren’t producing original music as much.

Therefore, for all these reasons and more, Natasha Baig’s brave attempt at producing an entire album deserves a second look.

Natasha is extremely consistent with her work: she’s one of the few names who have made her mark with the likes of Coke Studio but not without her reserve of original music. So far, she has over 12 original songs to her credit, not counting her new album, Zariya (which consists of 10 more original songs).

Read: Natasha Baig finally gets her moment in the spotlight

But as the recently concluded album launch showed, it hasn’t been an easy task for the young singer. Hailing from Hunza, having completed a bachelor’s degree in film, Natasha Baig has defied all odds. One of the biggest obstacles, however, has been social pressure. Without delving into it in great detail, Natasha took the stage to speak to her fans with a lot of authenticity about how it hasn’t been an easy for a girl from Hunza to make it big in the music industry. In fact, the tear-stricken singer even revealed that her own father disowned her and did not support her dreams. Unfortunately, that’s a very common limitation for women in the music industry.

Thankfully, Natasha found an army of supporting people around her, including her mother, and her brother, Sameer Baig, who has lent a lot of his own talent to the album as well (he’s worked on guitars and the arrangement.) Also, other names in the music industry, such as Ahsan Bari have also helped push Natasha in the right direction. It would be helpful to remember that Natasha started out as one of the vocalists in Sounds of Kolachi.

Staying true to her Sufi inspirations, Natasha has crafted an album that speaks about a woman’s journey and how her hardships led her to God.

The entire album is now exclusively available on Patari.