January 28th 2024
Hello!
The tour is done, the new album is out...so where next? Back to the very beginning of course! Hugely inspired by the films of my childhood, in this series of tributes I will honour those beautiful memories.
The new direction and VIDEO for your eyes only (for the rest of the week)!
I have been doing a LOT of thinking, dreaming, talking, journaling…forming the next project and soon I will share some details but for now…
…as many of you know, my original inspiration for singing is rooted in the songs of my childhood. What we now call Bollywood. So here is a video of me singing one of those songs, just with my tanpura and a tabla app, just for YOU until I release it more widely next week.
To be really honest, I had real reservations about sharing this even with you - it was an experiment, and there are LOTS of things about it that make me cringe a little. But I am trying hard to love but ignore my inner perfectionist (thanks Lois and Marianne for you timely support!)
The song is Bachpan Ki Muhabbat is a song from the 1952 film Baiju Bawra starring Meena Kumari and Bharat Bhushan. The legendry music director Naushad gave music for this film. The film was directed by Vijay Bhatt.
Would love love love to know what you think?
Here are some questions for you to ponder
Do you think I should find/create backing tracks that are more like the original Bollywood sound? Or do you prefer this pared down version?
What do you think of the video filter? The lighting?
Is the sound good enough? Or do I need an external mic?
Do you want the lyrics translated and/or on the video?
ANY FEEDBACK gratefully received!
#1.Bachpan Ki Mohabbat
from the 1952 movie: Baiju Bawra
Original song by Lata Mangeshkar, Naushad, and Shakeel Badayuni
Why the long gap?
I needed quite some time (and to be honest I still need it) after the intensity of last year.
When you are working on a funded project, you just get on with it, but as I look back I realise that to finish composing, mixing, mastering, releasing, producing the CDs and vinyl, the very regular blog and social media updates, and to actually deliver the live shows and workshops etc etc etc in just a few months was super charged.
When I got Covid in August, I had to postpone some shows, but I also had to make a decision that I needed to focus on the live delivery.
The shows, the workshops were the key. The live delivery.
So out went the blog, the regularity of the social media and everything else that I didn’t have to do. I had to focus, focus, focus.
But in the end, the whole project was so successful that it is now featured as a case study for Digital Culture Network, the Arts Council funded tech champions who really helped me throughout the whole project across so many areas.
If you are interested to read the whole study just follow this link
https://digitalculturenetwork.org.uk/knowledge/digital-journeys-case-study-samia-malik/
Finally I want to thank each and every one of you who supported me over my last project ‘Songs To Heal and Empower’ - maybe you
came to a show
attended a workshop
shared my posts online
sent me emails in response to these ones
supported my original crowdfund
read these emails
listened to the music
watched the videos online
attended a Premiere
gave me constructive feedback
bought a physical CD or album or online
collaborated with me…
….and so much more that I cannot think of at this moment
Please know that EACH of these is a precious gift.
Without this support FROM YOU an independent artist like me could not survive.
THANK YOU!!!