Music runs in her blood and soul. That is only expected, for Ritu Nooran is the granddaughter of famous Sufi singer Bibi Nooran. Not just her grandmother, but even her father Ustaad Gulshan Meer and both her elder sisters — Jyoti and Sultana are Sufi singers. That she will become one, was perhaps a foregone conclusion.
“Ever since I was born, I saw everyone at home engrossed in Sufi singing, be it my grandmother, father or sisters. But no one ever forced me into it,” she says. And even while she loved singing, Ritu never took it seriously until she saw her father singing at a dargah. That image stuck her and his soulful voice bowled her over.
“I felt some sort of spirituality and mysticism in his singing and felt I was drowning in it. It was then that I got serious about it,” she says.Ritu’s first performance was with her father in 2016 in Gurdaspur, Punjab. Over the last three years, she has given over 30 performances along with two widely-popular solos, Ishq da charkha and Yaar di deewani. And mind you, she is all of 19 years. An age when most girls are busy in make-up, clothes and boyfriends, Ritu spends around six hours a day doing riyaaz along with her father. As she says, Sufi means music for soul.
“Sufi singing has a history of more than 800 years and still continues to impact the lives of people. This music evolved to become a propagator of peace and humanity. I am blessed to have the skill and talent to promote it, and I shall never leave it anytime,” she avers, adding, “It’s a great boon to have your father as your teacher and mentor.” Though she simply adores Sufi singing, Ritu is not averse to experimenting other forms of singing. She loves Bollywood and Punjabi folk sings in equal measure.
Just like any other younger sibling, she idolizes her didis. “Both my sisters have made a name for themselves and sung in many Bollywood movies like Highway, Tiger Zinda Hai, Sultan, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Singh is Bliing and Dangal. I want to reach where they have,” she says. Considering all the three are in the same field, doesn’t it create rivalry, one wonders.
“Music is a world where there is a place for everyone. I don’t see my sisters as competitors. I see them as motivators. They have always encouraged me to learn music. When I was young, they kept motivating me to learn music and taking music classes from my father,” she says. Sharing an anecdote, she says, “Once when I was shooting for a video song, my sister came to meet me. She had tears in her eyes. That’s the kind of love we have between us. There is no place for jealousy or rivalry?” she says.
Other than singing, Ritu loves playing with children. “They are the best teachers when it comes to being humble and honest. I try to spend as much time with small children as I can,” she says. “One should keep the eyes on sky and feet firmly on the ground — kids help you understand this,” she signs off.