Noureen Shareef Journey to success

With growing success, CloseUp 1 singer Noureen Shareef has followed the path many budding singers from talent hunt shows tend to take. It has been 12 years since her participation on the reality music programme, but Noureen has since evolved into a singer of her own right. In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, the singer speaks of the journey that brought her here today, as well as current projects.

What are you currently working on?

Noureen: I am doing two mixed albums right now which are composed by Rajan Saha, one of which has been released, titled “Sraaboner Rin”. The title is based on a song by Samina Chowdhury, and all the songs contained in the album are about rain. All the singers are former contestants of CloseUp 1, with the exception of Samina. I have recently sung one playback song for the film “Fifty-Fifty Love” which was composed by Momo Rahman.

You also have a regular job. How do you balance both careers?

Noureen: It is very hard to strike a balance between two different careers, but everything has been made possible with the support of my loved ones, especially my husband and in-laws.

Could you tell us about your musical background, and your journey as a Closeup 1 star?

Noureen: I was trained in Nazrul and Classical, but I love singing modern Bangla songs. When I was in the second grade, my parents had me enrolled at Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts. After a two year course, I moved onto Nazrul and Classical at the academy for five years. I come from a very musical family; my mother and sister are very talented singers, but I am the first person to work in the media. In 2005, CloseUp 1 was calling for participants to register, and I had no intention of signing up because I thought I wasn't good enough. But my friends nagged me to register, telling me it doesn't matter whether I win or not. I am glad to have followed their advice.

Is there a singer you find most inspirational?

Noureen: For every singer in Bangladesh, Runa Laila and Sabina Yasmin are icons we aspire to become. But Samina Chowdhury inspires me in a different way. She single handedly takes care of her family and household, but doesn't let anything get in the way of her music either.