My First Podcast Interview!

I had such a great time speaking to TL Mazumdar and being a guest on his podcast. It was a wonderful opportunity to share my artistic vision and passion for using music to bridge cultural divides.

#3rdCulture, #EastMeetsWest #Unity

Accident to Artistry

Accidental Singer:

I initially only wanted to be a songwriter. I was working hard to pitch my demos to other singers or publishers, writing music in various styles. However, due to a twist of fate, I felt compelled to write a song about the "Kalimah Allah" issue in Malaysia. I uploaded the YouTube video and it was picked up by the news. I was interviewed the very next day, and the rest, they would say, is history. After a while, the media started calling me "The Accidental Singer" since it was unplanned.

Accidental Single:

The unexpected didn't stop there. The first song I recorded and released for my current album is "You Are My Land." The funny thing is, this song wasn't even considered at first because it was just a short piano demo of me singing and playing the keyboard alone in my room during an emotional turning point in my life. Then one day, someone heard me playing the demo and asked me about it. I told them it was just "one of those small ones," but recognizing it was more than that, they encouraged me to release it. Still unconvinced, I ignored their advice and moved on.

Later, when I was going through all my tracks with my music producer, Jeff Bova, for my upcoming album, we went through my demos. After playing all the completed ones for him, Jeff asked if I had any more. I almost said no, but then remembered I had a few short piano ones. I explained they weren't finished, so we might as well not listen to them. But Jeff insisted several times that I play them for him. Reluctantly, I did. One of those was "You Are My Land."

Jeff only had to hear the song once before announcing it was going to be the first song on my album. He said, "This is your song. This is your sound! The entire album should be built around this." He thought its melancholic, cinematic vibe tied in perfectly with who I was as an artist and the other tracks that had already been chosen. In the end, we ended up recording "You Are My Land" first and then forming the rest of the album around it. Totally unexpected!

Accidental Cover:

The unexpected didn't stop there. When it was time to shoot the cover for the single, we organized a photoshoot but didn't find any of the photos suitable. I was feeling so exasperated as time was running short for the release. On a whim, I decided to take one last look at the shots, and the photographer had made a quick sample retouching on a random photo he had picked. I thought, "That looks pretty good for the cover!" And that random photo ended up being the cover for the single.

Accidental Haircut:

And the surprises kept coming. I went to get a haircut prior to shooting the lyric video for "You Are My Land." I told the hairdresser I wanted a diagonal long haircut and to "do what he thinks will look best." He ended up cutting my hair into a short bob! That was totally unexpected, and that's how I ended up with a short diagonal bob for the "You Are My Land" lyric video shoot.

It just goes to show that sometimes the most meaningful and impactful things can come from the most unexpected places - a spontaneous moment of emotion captured in a simple piano demo, a random photo, an accidental haircut. If I had dismissed the advice of those around me and never revisited that unassuming recording, I would have missed the opportunity to create something truly special.

This experience has taught me to always keep an open mind, to trust my instincts, and to never underestimate the power of those "small" moments of inspiration. I loved these beautiful accidents, and I'm grateful I followed my heart and allowed these unexpected moments to shape the story of "You Are My Land" and my entire single. Sometimes the most beautiful things happen when you least expect them.

An Interview: Bridging Differences Through Songs

“Unity and equality shape my music as these values affect me greatly,” says singer of Malay-Indian parentage.

UNITY is a value close to singer-songwriter Amirah’s heart. It is even reflected in her music.

For this lass of Malay-Indian parentage, assimilation of different races comes naturally.

“As a child, I would hear my father play Hindi songs while my mother played her keroncong music,” she told The Sun in a recent email interview from Los Angeles where she is based.

Her first release, You Are My Land, tells of the pain she feels as Malaysia goes through political challenges. This was followed by Tell Me that questions Malaysians’ identity.

“Values such as unity and equality shape my music because these issues affect me greatly.

“Unity is the driving force in my life and it breaks my heart when I see people hurt or fight each other. Unfortunately, racial polarisation has reared its ugly head,” Amirah said.

“When we focus on our differences, we are divided,” she added.

“However, when we focus on our shared humanity, we see that we are all the same.”

To push her message of unity across, Amirah blends traditional Malaysian sounds with Western pop music.

Amirah began composing music on the piano at the tender age of 11. Her introduction to the gamelan during her teens set her on a path to fuse traditional Asian culture with Western modernity.

Gamelan is a traditional musical form that has its roots in the Malay archipelago.

“It is sad that this beautiful music has been forgotten by the young. It will be a great loss if we do not incorporate it into our culture,” she said.

Her sentiment for her culture and tradition, combined with personal identity issues she faced in the past, led her to embrace her roots.

“When I started writing songs, the big names in the local music scene then were Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, Nadeera, Atilia Haron and Alif Satar,” she said.

Amirah attended the annual American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers conference that eventually led to an introduction to producer Jeff Bova.

“It was like the doors had finally opened for me. Jeff understood my musical concept instantly.

She moved to Los Angeles to record her first album.

The album was scheduled to be released late last year but it was delayed due to the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the United States.

But for Amirah, the delay was a blessing.

Being autistic, she has trouble functioning with background noises and large crowds.

“With the lockdown to curb the pandemic, there is less noise in my surroundings and there are no crowded places,” she said.

Amirah has come a long way. Just recently, the singer-songwriter reached the semi-finals in the International Songwriting Competition and is a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

She said those who would like to help her release songs that inspire people to unite, could sign up as a member of the Amirah’s Aliens.

#3rdCulture #EastMeetsWest #Unity

Interview: From Purpose to Impact

‘Never setting any boundary before her art...Amirah aligns purpose and impact in a greatly versatile way. Her calls for unity and peace come with perfect timing...”

Thank you for the thoughtful write-up and the opportunity to discuss my music. You captured the deep passion and purpose that inspires my artistic journey.

#3rdCulture #EastMeetsWest #Unity

John Lennon Songwriting Competition Finalist

I wanted to share with you an exciting and humbling update: my song "Tell Me" was awarded Finalist in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest and "You Are My Land" was awarded Semi-Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.

"Tell Me" made it to the top 4 in the Inspirational category. The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is a prestigious international annual contest created by Yoko Ono Lennon, and the ISC featured judges such as Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Tom Waits, so I feel incredibly honored and blessed.

To celebrate this achievement, I treated myself to a delicious Nasi Bungkus - a traditional Malaysian rice dish. It was the perfect way to mark this special occasion.

I'm deeply grateful to everyone who has supported my music and encouraged me to keep composing and singing.

A heartfelt thank you to my amazing producer Jeff Bova, the legendary tabla player Satnam Ramgotra, as well as Dave Eggar, Amy Powers and Satoshi Naguchi. Your contributions have been invaluable.

These accolades serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving and celebrating our beautiful, hypnotic traditional instruments like the tabla, tanpura and gamelan. I'll always do my part to keep these cultural treasures alive through my music.

This recognition is a true honor, and it inspires me to continue using my art as a bridge between cultures, fostering greater understanding and unity.

For those of you that have been following and supporting me from the beginning, you know how important the the message of unity is and always will be to me.

To my Aliens, I am forever grateful for your encouragement. You put the wind in my sails. I have taken these humble steps forward in my musical career because of you.

#3rdCulture #EastMeetsWest #Unity