NEW WAVE

Take a poetic journey into love, heartbreak and longing

It’s an exciting time for music globally, with young artists blending genres seamlessly, making it impossible to box these acts in. Rappers are taking the emo route, pop stars are dabbling in hip-hop, and some artists are so comfortable mixing different styles that it’s impossible to label them. This holds true for Mumbai-based poet, singer and music composer Sameer Rahat. His style stems from seemingly varied influences. He writes in Urdu and Hindi and creates music that’s influenced by indie-pop and folk music. With his debut solo album, Aamad, which literally means ‘arrival’, Rahat takes charge with his affinity for soulful melodies woven into every verse of this 31-minute project. His lyrics read more like spoken word poetry, drawing from contemporary progressive Urdu poets. Here, Rahat talks about blending genres and staying true to who he is as a musician.

GRAZIA: Your debut album, Aamad, translates to ‘arrival’ in Urdu. What kind of statement did you want to make with your music?