“I had sent the Coke Studio people a picture of exactly what I wanted to wear during my performance,” Panrra said. “I wanted to bring forward the delicacy of traditional Pukhtun features and merge them with our ostentatious styling sense.”
She may have been introduced to the Pakistani audience through the show, but Panrra is not a newcomer in the regional music circuit. She is one of the most sought-after female performers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan and has extensively toured Pukhtun-dominated areas across the world.
Daughter of a tabla player, the 24-year-old started singing four years ago after overcoming many hurdles within the family. Pukhtuns are generally a little conservative, and so is the case with my family. My father wasn’t as strict, but my mother still has a lot of issues with my music career. I hope the performance with Atif Aslam melts her heart,” she laughs.
Man Aamadeh Am is a cover of a Googoosh song of the same name, and the melody and lyrics are so intertwined within the cultural fabric of Pakistan that, to date, this song is played at weddings in Balochistan.
“Singing Man Aamadeh Am was definitely a huge responsibility for me, and I think I did a fairly decent job,” says Panrra. “I liked the overall sound of our song, but the general consensus has been that it became bland towards the end, when Atif takes it into another dimension.”
So far known for performing live and on TV shows, Panrra’s first experience of recording in an elaborate live set-up was Coke Studio, and she learnt a lot from everyone, especially Atif.
“Atif turned out to be the polar opposite of what I had imagined him to be. He has no attitude issues at all; he listened humbly to my feedback and then we collaborated to improve the song. It was an amazing experience.”
It’s been only a few days since her song was released, and she is already flooded by offers to perform live, collaborate with other artists and a few international tours.
“Being a well-known face and a woman in our society can prove to be a deadly combination; both metaphorically and literally,” she smirks, adding, “especially if you’re known for something as controversial as singing or dancing and that too in a Pukhtun society.”
That is perhaps why Panrra completed her Masters in Social Sciences from Peshawar University before taking up a career that she is more passionate about then certain. And incidences like the murder of a widely followed female singer Ghazala Javed in 2012 often make her realise the importance of having a back up option.
“Though she was killed for different reasons but you’re right, it can happen to anyone and any time,” says Panrra on a serious note. “Any female singer hailing from K-P will face a number of threats, needless interference from parents and other factors that a female singer from elsewhere won’t. It comes with the territory, either face it or don’t embrace it.” Says the plucky girl from the KPK.
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