By Hemisha Morarji.
Fashionista and electro dance singer Shumalia Azeem is the latest Canadian Pakistani talent to fly in from across the pond, with her delicious cocktail of Urdu and electronic dance that will be a hit when it crash lands in the UK this year.
“Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change,’ was what Shumalia wrote on her Facebook page a few weeks ago.
“I meant ‘people’, not ‘men’, she corrects me as we chat down the phone, aware that her statement might have been incorrectly taken as a sexist remark. “When I wrote it, I thought of men as I have encountered many who fall into the saying.”
But controversial is not what Shumalia is about. A philosophical young woman, she explains that the saying implies that being ignorant, be it out of arrogance of the knowledge you already have or a sheer refusal to learn, stunts one’s ability to be open.
She says, “When you are wisest, you think you know it all and therefore you don’t want to open your mind to other ideas and opinions. But when you are at your stupidest, you don’t want to be exposed to new ideas and again, this is not right. You’ve got to accept change and bring about change and that is what my music is all about. I try to bring innovation to everything I do.”
And innovation is what Shumalia is. Her musical mix of Urdu, house, electro and trance is already garnering attention, with her latest video for single ‘Thak’ being viewed on TV channels.
Having spent her childhood in Kerachi and Dhahran, the Canadian brings a blend of three cultures into her personality and music. She inherited her Urdu writing skills from her grandparents, who were both poetry and biography writers.
But with innovative music and tradition lyrics, comes glamour as the singer boasts of an impressive CV that saw her graduate with a degree in fashion management, which has led to the beauty launching a company called Toronto Fashion Club and working full time as a Fashion analyst for a leading apparel retailer.
Asian World caught up with Shumalia to discuss her new sound, the importance of penning your own tracks and her passion for fashion…
Describe your music.
The major genre of music I do is electronic infused with Urdu music, but I also bring in elements of rock and ballet in my other songs. There are eight songs on my album and about 5 or 6 of them are mostly electronic and techno house.
I already released my first single last September, with a music video that was shot in aTorontonightclub. 600 people came to the launch and the reduced screening brought in 400 people.
What inspired you to become a singer?
I have always been singing. I attended courses and classes and I had a singing coach at one point, but then I decided to come out with my own music. I wanted to write songs and compose melodies. At the moment I am working on my album, which will be released in the summer this year.
You inherited your Urdu writing skills from your grandparents. Do you think this makes your music unique?
It does – I bring hardcore Urdu words to my songs, rather than the easy words that people remember and people enjoy it. It has meaning, it brings out the quality of Urdu music as there is humbleness to it and that fact that so many people appreciate it is a great boost.
Your grandparents were poetry writers. Do you bring symbolism and imagery into your lyrics?
Yes of course. I always try to find meaning in objects that I see and find new creative ways of expressing myself. You can see that in a lot of my songs and in one of them, I talk about how an empty shelf can have personality to it.
How important is it to write your own songs?
It is very important because you are singing a sing that you have written yourself, you can put all of the emotions you felt writing it into it. I’m not saying that singers who sing other people’s songs don’t do that, as you can sing something written by someone else and relate to it and put as much emotion into it. But I feel it is easier to sing a song you wrote yourself.
How do you feel about programmes like the X Factor and American Idol that promote manufactured stars?
I think they are doing a great job. There is a lot of talent in the world that is hidden and I feel shows like the X Factor help expose it. They help young artists and give them the chance to explore who they are and find who they are.
Who do you think your music will appeal to?
When I write music I try to write them so that appeals to all generations, and not just the youth. I have been getting quite a lot of feedback from my fans and it’s great to know that my music is being appreciated by a variety of people and that they can relate to my lyrics.
You seem to be a huge fan of fashion. Do you have any icons that you take inspiration from?
Hmm, that is a hard question (laughs). I like Katy Perry’s style – I like how she puts all of the colours together and it really suits her. On the more sophisticated end of the style, I appreciate Sushmita Sen’s look. I really like her image.
You run a company called Toronto Fashion Club. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Yes, we organise fashion shows and file shoes for a number of clients, providing models, music and staging. It all came about through my experience in fashion – I went to a fashion school, I worked as a co-ordinator for Toronto Fashion Week and was a Publicist for a number of fashion lines. I also worked for a music and fashion magazine as a writer.
You are a full-time Fashion Analyst for Canada’s leading apparel retailer. What made you pursue music, instead of fashion?
Music has always been with me. It’s an art form, in the same way fashion is and when you are an artist, you’re creative in all areas.
When I went to school to do fashion management, I felt it was time to do my own music and I’m glad I put my ambitions into action because I love what I do! Working on the album, the video response, and the emails that fans have been sending me…it’s all been very overwhelming.
Do you have any plans to come down to the UK in the future?
Yes, I will be in theUKsometime this year to promote my album. I also plan to come toDubai,Pakistanand so many other places to bring my music to a wider audience.
