Shahin Badar: A lot of music producers want women to chase them

Shahin Badar instantly brings to mind the sultry vocals and alaaps on the many dance tracks in the world of trance. Songs, collaborations (from The Prodigy to AR Rahman), films and awards mark her nearly two-decade career in music, and it’s not surprising that the Indian songstress is considered one of the most notable Asian talents to emerge from Britain. Currently in India, she is all set to take music buffs by surprise with her latest track – 'Salaam'.This takes the singer, who specialises in EDM, to another end of the spectrum as the track is a spiritual track. Her first.
Talking about this sudden ‘spiritual’ move, Shahin says, “My mainstream European projects were taking priority and I had this in the back of my mind, I was waiting for a time. And I guess now just seemed right for the release of my spiritual track.” Elaborating on the track, she reveals, “The lyrics have been written by my mother, Zohra Rowshanara, a ghazal writer. I am at peace when I praise the Almighty. This is my first and only devotional song, where I have used percussions and my voice to relay a strong message.”
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Spiritual or EDM, 'Smack my b***ch up' or films Zubeidaa or Charlie’s Angels’ background scores, what really marks Shahin’s singing is her rich, powerful vocals and Indo-Arabic alaaps and chants. Where does that originate from? “I was brought up in Kuwait, where I was influenced by a lot of Arabic music. I used to sing a lot of religious hymns,” she says.
So, why is it that the singer is not seen more often on the Indian music scenario? “You need to stay in the country to make things happen. I have to be very honest, my music genre is different, eclectic, niche. When I approached some record labels previously here, they asked me to do Hindi cover songs even after I made a mark in EDM, they did not understand the genre of music, asked me to pay for my albums and wanted my full publishing rights which I can’t give away, not without an advance. I was not at all up for it and I made it clear and walked away peacefully. As much as one loves music you have to stand your ground. Secondly, unfortunately, I have noticed a lot of music producers want women to chase them. I like to work with humble, intelligent people.” Now that she is in India, what’s her next step after 'Salaam'? “I am planning to release my EDM dance number by the end of the year with God’s will, And if a good music producer, wishes to collaborate for Bollywood movies during my stay in India I am up for it,” comes Shahin’s parting shot, her husky voice bubbling with laughter.
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Listen to Shahin Badar songs on Gaana.com
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