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
