The Malaysian singer-songwriter easily mixes traditional music elements into her modern style.
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Najwa (also known as Najwa Mahiaddin) may be the daughter of Malaysia’s former number two man, but she is a talented singer and songwriter in her own right. “It only becomes a challenge when people make it an issue,” she says.
After a brief foray into studying engineering, Najwa decided to pursue her passion for music, enrolling in the Berklee transfer programme at the International College Of Music, Kuala Lumpur. Shortly after graduation, she released her first album ‘Innocent Soul’ (2011), with an R&B sound. The second album ‘Aurora’ (2014) digs deeper to preserve her mixed ethnic heritage, boldly blending traditional music elements into her otherwise contemporary sound.
Najwa will be performing at this year’s MOCAfest, part of the 11th World Islamic Economic Forum held in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 3-5, 2015.
Aquila Style: How did you become interested in music?
Najwa: I’ve been interested in music ever since I was three, watching my sister play the piano and singing at family gatherings growing up. I remember as a young girl watching the musical ‘Phantom of the Opera’. It gave rise to an overwhelming well of emotions I had never felt outside of music before. I remember telling myself that I wanted to make people feel that same way.
What do you think is the role of an artist in society? (In general, or Malay society specifically)
I believe that an artist’s role in society is to be the voice of the people, by expressing through music [their] issues, emotions and everything in between. For example, in our current society, the rise in cyber-bullying and harassment has caused the younger generation to be insecure about themselves and their self-identity. As artists, we are here to inspire, motivate and empower them.
What does your creative process look like?
It varies. I get inspired by the environment and people around me. Usually when I get inspired, I sit in front of the piano and it all – melody, harmony and lyrics – just comes at once. Then, after a few tweaks here and there, I would bring it to my band or producer and we would work on creating the sound and arrangement of the music.
Your version of ‘Seri Mersing’ gives a new breath to the classic tune. How was your experience of that collaboration? What value do you see in working across disciplines?
It was very eye-opening. It made me appreciate my roots even more. I now understand a lot more about myself and where my roots fit in to my musical identity.
The theme for this year’s festival is “Preservation of Identity”. How does your Malay identity enter into your creative vision?
In Berklee, everyone around me seemed to have already had their musical identity tied to their cultural roots. I found myself at a loss because I was still searching for where my Malay identity fit into my creative vision. Through experimenting and exploring with different sounds, I discovered that there was a way for me to marry my cultural identity with my musical one.
By incorporating traditional musical elements like Ghazal and Asli with my contemporary R&B sound, I found a nice home where both worlds could meet.
Is it a challenge to be known as the daughter of someone well known?
My family has always been the most supportive of my music, but they believe that I must work hard to achieve my dreams. Everything that I have achieved thus far has been through my own hard work and the moral support of family and friends.
What do you look forward to in this year’s festival?
I can’t wait to play for the festival and to come and watch all the other shows and talks being given there! I hope to meet other creative minds and hopefully work on collaborating with them.
If you could pick anyone from this year’s festival to work with, who would you choose?
At the creative stage that I am in, I am open to collaborating with as many individuals as possible, whether visual artists, fashion designers, or musicians. I believe it is important to not limit, but to push yourself creatively and intellectually.
Catch Najwa at MOCAfest:
Wednesday, 4 November 2015 at 7.00pm
Soundscape Concert
Keep up with Najwa on the road with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
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