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| Picture taken from an Azam Ali Facebook album - originally taken behind the scenes of the making of the new album Lamentation of Swans - A Journey Toward Silence |
In my interview I had written,
I am deeply grateful that I have found this opportunity to ask questions of my favorite performing artist. In some ways... her music has been like a stepping stone as I have come to learn about and meet people from the places of her musical backgrounds and performances.
I don't know if she saw that part or not, but I received her answers this week, and I thought I might share them here. I tried to ask for permission for blog publication directly in my interview, but the request wasn't acknowledged either way (I suspect she only saw the question list). I'd like to think that she wouldn't mind this publication because for her this is free promotion, and for me this is how I can share her inspiring answers.
To Laura VanVliet
Thank you so very
much for supporting my project and your thoughtful questions -Azam
1. How have you had the courage
and inspiration to reach out to so many different places?
In my early life, external
circumstances, which were out of my control, dictated my fate. As I grew up I
discovered that people are the same everywhere. No matter where I go I always
try to connect with people through our common points as human beings. And once
that connection is made, it truly inspires great things in me and makes me want
to travel more. I am fortunate in that my music is what carries me to all these
places.
2. Similarly, how did you become connected to so many different cultures?
Being born in Iran and going to study in
India at the age of four was the beginning of what would become my life long
fascination with foreign countries, cultures, spirituality, art and music.
3. Have you been surprised to have an American following?
Not at all. After all I spent so many
years living in America and it was my home as well. That is also where my music came to fruition
so it is a big part of who I am.
4. Your music has drawn influence from places like India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and others - do you ever feel that you are drawn to these places by the history of the Persian empire and influence?
Many people do not believe me when I say
this but I am not a very nationalistic person. Meaning that my cultural
identity was never very important to me maybe because I left my country of
birth at such a young age. However, the place where you are born imprints on
you the first experience and perception of the world, so that is why this is
such a big part of me and my music. The reason that I always try to expand in
my music beyond the borders of my country of birth is to show that no one has a
choice as to where they are born, what country, what culture or what religion.
But we do have a choice when it comes to the kind of human being we want to be.
And I have chosen to be a daughter of the world.
5. Where is your favorite place in
Iran?
Esfahan. For me this is a magnificent
city artistically and historically. I also love the many very small villages.
They remind me of where my grandparents lived.
6. Do you feel like different cultures have given you different sides to your personality?
Absolutely. I think even when you just
travel to another country, some part of you is changed forever. You are
expanded in some way, which is why it is also highly addictive.
7. Do you feel like different cultures have given you different aspects to your music holistically?
Making music is a therapy for me, which
makes it a very selfish indulgence. But somewhere in the process, if you do it
sincerely and honestly, you tap into something, which transcends your
individual ego and is part of a greater whole. The proof of this is when people
from different cultures connect to your work even if there is a language
barrier.
8. What is one of your favorite films?
I have many favorite films that rage
from old black and whites, indie films from around the world and even a few
Hollywood films, but if I had to choose only one it may have to be 2001- A
Space Odyssey.
9. What is one of your favorite books?
My favorite books are anything written
by my favorite writer, Rabindranath Tagore.
10. How did you meet your husband?
I met him when I was eighteen years old
in an art gallery he owned at the time. Later we discovered we were both
musicians and had mutual friends. It took us many years to discover we were
meant to be husband and wife instead of just great friends, but that friendship
is for us the best part of our marriage.
11. Why did you and your husband choose "Imam" for
your son's name?
We chose the name Iman because Iman
means faith in many eastern languages. For both of us, we felt that having
faith was the one thing we struggled with for so long. When you have a child
you literally say their name over and over again a hundred times a day, so
naming our son faith seemed very appropriate.
12. Could you describe a time when
your music research surprised you?
I always learn something when I record
traditional songs because I have to do research on where the piece from and
what it meant to the people from that place or culture. But my greatest
learning experience came when I did my first solo album, Portals of Grace,
which was based entirely on Early Medieval European Music. I always describe
that album as my thesis because I spend so many hours in the library and online
just doing research. It was tiring at times but so rewarding because it was
like traveling back in time.
13. How did you become interested in the Urdu poetry that you've used as lyrics for songs by Niyaz?
I love poetry and prose. They are my
favorite things to read so I have collected many books over the years. I am
particularly drawn to poetry, which is mystical and can capture the human
longing for something greater, which we all share. Being Iranian, I was of
course first exposed to mystical Sufi poetry, which later led me to seek out
the mystical poetry of other traditions.
14. How did you come to sing for the film score of 300?
The composer for film, Tyler Bates is
someone I’ve known for many years. We both started our careers together albeit
in different genres of music. I sang on many scores for him over the years.
When he was offered 300, it was a huge break for him and he wanted me to be a
part of it. For me it was just another opportunity to make music with a good
friend.
15. Where do you do most of your
lyric writing?
In a very quiet room. I can’t write if
there is even a single sound so I usually wear sound canceling headphones when
I write.
16. Do you have other ambitions for film scores, in Hollywood or other film industries?
I still do quite a bit of work for film
and TV with composers who have become my friends over the years. I am slowly
starting to consider getting into film scoring myself but it is very hard work
and very high-pressure life.
17. Have you performed in languages that are difficult for you? How do you master them?
I have a very disciplinarian approach to
singing in another language because someone who speaks that language is going
to hear it and I want them to feel the emotion of what I am singing instead of
constantly thinking about how poor my pronunciation is. So if I make a commitment
to sing in a language I don’t know, I find someone I trust and work closely
with them till the lyrics become second nature. The hard rule for me is that I
cannot record a song if I have to look at a lyric sheet. The words have to
become internalized.
18. "Spring Arrives" is one of my favorite songs of yours. It evokes several different emotions. What was the inspiration for the song "Spring Arrives"?
It
really was about the celebration of the arrival of spring. I wanted it to be a
danceable yet very sensual piece because that’s what spring represents to me-
celebration and sensuality.
19. You've also performed traditional Western European music for your album Portals of Grace - how have you found it different from performing traditional Eastern music?
There are so many different styles of
music, which are part of me now so it feels extremely natural for me to go from
one expression to another. It’s all about communicating an emotion. How you do
that is secondary.
20. Do you have any advice for people who are trying to expand their horizons in art and culture? We are living in the most exciting time because we can do a search on our computers and hear music, watch film, read books, etc, from every corner of this world as remote as they may be. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this opportunity. Being adventurous is not as easy as it sounds because by nature humans like to feel safe. So my advice is start small with reading and listening and then take the leap and travel. Once you travel, your fear of the unknown becomes replaced by your hunger to know the unknown because in that process we end up learning the most about ourselves and our true potential. In the end expanding our horizons becomes an expansion of our soul.
