Dareeche: A window into Zoe’s past, present and future

The singer speaks about the ups and downs of her musical journey that culminated in her debut album.

KARACHI:

Zoe Viccaji has had a rather turbulent journey as a musician. Not because there was a lack of opportunities or discouragement from the family but because it took some time for her fans, who in many cases were also her worst critics, to take this Coke Studio backing vocalist seriously. Irrespective of that, Viccaji stood firm so much so that now she is all set for the launch of her solo debut album Dareeche. 

In an interview with The Express Tribune, Viccaji talks about her musical journey thus far and how her non-musical experiences have culminated in her debut album.

“The entire album is made up of songs that have come out of major events over the years, whether it was losing someone, not knowing what to do with my life, or any other experiences that left me feeling existentially confused,” exclaimed the up-and-coming musician from Karachi.

She further noted that, “When I first started writing songs, they were more like a personal diary, and a source of venting and solace for me. I found it hard to cope with the idea that nothing is permanent and we can also never be entirely sure of anything”.

With musicians forgoing releasing albums in favour of music videos of their singles the launch of her album comes as a welcome change.

“Growing up I really enjoyed the experience of an album, a body of work that gave you a larger view of the artist and their music. So I guess it was only natural to want to create a body of work and hope to give people an experience that I enjoyed so very much when I was just a listener,” she exclaimed.

With an abundance of classical and folk singers in the industry right now, the singer has successfully managed to carve a niche as a musician with her own alternate jazz infused style of music. “It was a very natural progression (for me) — I grew up listening to jazz so it worked its way into my style even though I’m dabbling in different genres right now,” remarked the Karachi-based musician.

Having worked with industry veterans and maestros such as Rohail Hyatt and Shahzad ‘Shahi’ Hassan, she spoke about the influence both of these Vital Signs members have had on her music and career trajectory.

“I’ve worked in different capacities with both gentlemen. Shahi and I worked together on my own music, for my own album and with a lot of my own direction.And when I worked with Rohail I was bringing my music to his platform in an effort to blend in with his style of music and sound,” said Zoe.

Though she does state that Rohail Hyatt has been a greater influence on her music saying he helped her dig deeper into herself and uncover her hidden potential. “We entered musical realms that I had never gone into before and it’s built in me the desire to dig deeper,” mentioned the former Coke Studio backing vocalist.

Having displayed her acting chops in the music video for the single Phir Mili Tanhia, Zoe is open to the idea of exploring other realms of performance art such as that of acting. “I’m more interested in performing for theatre than film, especially musical theatre. It really depends on the kind of script and team that comes along but I’m very open to the idea,” exclaimed the artist.

Her album will be formally launched on September 9 with a live show at Southend Club, Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2014.

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