Desi in UK enthrals music lovers

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Creativity and determination — the two often combine to make a beautiful tango. Shahin Badar’s musical journey is a reflection of both. Specially, considering hers could have been a quintessential story of a desi girl from good old London with all its predictable trappings.

However this girl was different. Different, not just in responding to her true calling, but also in allowing her craft to chart new routes. Reflecting on that thought process, her latest work fine-tunes into a strong musical statement on peace and its urgency in our world today. “Revolver is an anti-war song and was conceptualised to highlight the violence and atrocities that many countries are going through. The loss of innocent lives continues to be a harsh reality of the times we live in and we simply cannot look away. As an artist, I have responded to this tragedy through my music,” she says. The song, produced by band Dopebuzz, makes a passionate appeal to the world at large to pause and reflect, shun bloodshed and embrace peace.
“The track has been very well received. It is playing out on radio and clubs in UK and abroad,” Badar says, the excitement in her voice palpable even in a long-distance phone call.
As the conversation veers towards her background, we realise her story doesn’t actually begin from England, the country of her birth. It can be traced to Valsad, a small town in Gujarat, where a few decades ago a young girl was honing her talent under Ustad Imdad Khan Sarangiwala in sufi and classical music. She was later invited to sing the national anthem at All India Radio’s Baroda station. The girl was Badar’s mother and thanks to her, the singer acquired a musical DNA.
“My mother was then known as the second Lata Mangeshkar in her home town and even got offers to sing in films. But the idea didn’t find any takers at home, as she belonged to a high-profile, but strict Muslim family. Soon she settled into domestic bliss with a chartered accountant from (then) East Pakistan and together they made the English country their new home,” she narrates.
About her early days, the UK-based singer recalls, “During my growing up years, mother’s beautiful voice filled our home. She used to sing all day and often I gave her company during the riyaaz (practice) sessions. Somewhere around that time and perhaps in a not-so-conscious way, my interest in music was cultivated.”
She added, “For a few years we moved to Kuwait and it was there that I was exposed to the wonders of Arabic music. I frequently took part in music related shows from television. The teachers would always select me to sing hymns during the school assembly.”
The late teens were more confident times. “Back in London, I started composing my own material and totally switched my interests. I underwent professional training from various ustads (teachers) like Nawazish Ali Khan saheb, Golak Chowdhary and Hardas Ganguli.
Widening my horizon, I focused on learning dance and trance music. Hours were spent in the HMV music store every other day, browsing through different genre of sounds from folk, swing soul, jazz, hip hop, electro and world music. Eventually, I grew to love fusion. I realised that the idea of amalgamation of sounds and music can be an inspiring affair,” she recalls.
Her artistic skills took a professional turn when Kuljit Bhamra’s Keda Records releas-ed her first album Destiny. Then one day, she was approa-ched by The Prodigy band to record and create the chant of Smack My Bi***h from the album Fat of the Land.
Recollecting the fond memories, she says, “I had no idea what a massive success it will become. The album hit the number one spot in 24 countries and made it to the Guinness Book of Records for the fastest selling dance album in the world, selling over 10 million copies. It is one of the most controversial songs in history, yet a phenomenal success. I was one of the first Asian female artists to work with one of the biggest electronica dance band in the world. I made my mark and went on to work with various big names, headlining many shows. Performing to a huge crowd was an ecstatic experience. I was often referred as the lady with spine tingling Indian chant.”
The singer believes, besides talent, other factors also play a pivotal role in shaping her dreams to reality. “Having supportive parents always turns out to be a boon for an Asian girl’s choice of career. It helps in making the voices of discouragement seem inconsequential,” she adds as an afterthought.
On the filmi front, she has lent her vocal chords to Dol Dol from Yuva and the background score alaaps for Zubeidaa. That was followed by the release of her album Laila in India. As things were looking up on the playback music front, the singer fell ill and eventually returned to UK. “No regrets here. I enjoyed my stint in Mumbai and playback singing for big movies has its charm, but my forte lies in my kind of music. Besides Revolver, my other creation Is it Love, produced by Zak Moya and written by me, is a high energy progressive fusion dance track and is making quite an impact in the UK,” the singer says.
With her soul stirring voice, Badar certainly could have been Bollywood’s gain.