Malaysian singer Najwa Mahiaddin and her New York state of mind
by KENNETH CHAW
Najwa Mahiaddin is making her mark as a musician abroad but the singer reveals life in the Big Apple is not all glitz and glam.
A warm summer day at the back of a building in the thriving art and music district of Brooklyn in New York, the exhaust fans whirred without relent while the stench from a nearby dumpster hung faintly in the air.
“What are we doing here?” singer-songwriter Najwa Mahiaddin thought to herself as she arrived at the venue – the venue of her performance, that is. Mostacho Xprmnt, a R&B fusion band which comprises four Berkelee graduates including Najwa, had landed a gig at the, well, less-than-conventional setting.
“It sounded like a great idea at first. It was summer and we thought it would be cool for people to sit outside on a patio, and just hang out and listen to live music,” said the 28-year-old artiste and daughter of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“But there was a heat wave going on at the time. It was so hot. And it didn’t help that we were playing near where the exhaust fans were. We didn’t look good on stage at all, we were all sweating,” Najwa continued, seeming to recall the moment with both distress and fondness at the same time.
“It was an experience I will never forget.”
Najwa was speaking to Star2 in a Skype interview from New York, recalling the ups and downs of her musical career so far.
A new direction
Najwa got her big break in 2011 when she released her debut album, Innocent Soul, while pursuing the Berklee transfer programme at the International College Of Music, Kuala Lumpur.
Immediately, she took the local industry by storm, clinching the Best English Song (for Got To Go) and Best New Artiste title at the Anugerah Industri Muzik the same year. The singer became known for her sultry vocals, her soul and R&B stylings and empowering lyrics.
But it seems the chilly winds of New York has brought about a change to her latest work, Aurora, a digitally released five-track EP.
“I wrote a lot of girl power songs like Got To Go but with this one, it’s more mellow and there’s this healing type thing. In New York, it’s always cold and concrete and when it snows, it gets muddy and slushy. I’m influenced by the things I see and feel,” she explained.
Salah satu retis malaysia yang akak gemari, sebab lagu beliau takde lah lirik merapu macam Jaclyn Victor, nama pun edry yang tulis lirik nya. Tapi music video najwa kalini cheap sangat.
Ramai sahaja tukang edit video yang ada dekat malaysia ni takkan seko pun takde yang reti buat music video yang gah sikit? Ke semuanya dok merempit sahaja?
Post time 13-7-2014 04:27 PM
变色卡
Author
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