Opinion Editorial
A few weeks ago, I was invited to preview Zamaera’s new EP at TGV One Utama, showcasing a new direction, expanded musical ability, and more refined prowess of rap, and from the looks of her trajectory, seem to not all be just words in the wind. ‘Wanita’ proved to be a musically empowering bop, a far cry from the early days of ‘Helly Kelly’, and Z vs Z gave us an insight into a fragile bubble of interpersonal thoughts, growth, both in the musical sense, and personal. Like the local saying, ‘bagai menatang minyak yang penuh,’ she’s carefully charted her course on where she plans to end up to, and her direction hits closer to the target with every new song release.
Naturally then, I had absolutely no idea what I was expecting as I stepped into the hall with a faint background of a stage at the forefront, really unprepared for what’s about to happen next. Of course, for this portion, visuals would be a lot more interesting to look at than a description of the fact that there was a mini live band assisting Zamaera as she passionately performs her EP in front of a roaring crowd of 15 media representatives, but what I gathered after sitting through the hour in the back seat as emotions rose and fall, lyrics ebbed and flowed, I was absolutely gobsmacked, shocked, stricken by the Zamaera’s lyrical ability; fierce, and then filled with the softness of soul, all in the span of 5 songs.
Zamaera during her EP launch. Photo Credit: Syok
It’s no secret that she flew to Chicago to record her EP with the help of a group of multi-talented people that provided a foundation for her to stand upon. Speaking about her journey to the USA, “I was signed to Lakefront’s Artist Development Program which was curated by my music director Jingles Jhingoree in June 2017. It was meant to last for 2 years but sometime in March of 2018, the label told me that I would be going to the US in May to record my EP album. Naturally, I was ecstatic but was even more overjoyed after the announcement of who I’d be working with. The Matt Jones Orchestra has worked with some very notable people e.g PJ Morton, Jessie J, John Legend, etc. So to have that at the back of my head whilst entering the recording studio and being introduced to them for the first time was a mixture of heart-palpitations and whirlwind breezes that spun my head in excitement. I was a little anxious and wondered if I would feel like a total stranger, a fish out of water, but once I stepped into the room, it felt like I belonged. If any one of us was not in that room, it felt like it would be incomplete and just that feeling alone, of adding to the wholesomeness with these extremely talented and experienced musicians, was an indescribable one.”
And that level of belonging carried over into the production of her songs. To create Z The EP, Zamaera put a mirror in front of her, a reflection of a central theme that the EP revolves around: Growth. “When I wrote the concept of the EP album, I started with a theme ; Growth & Progression. I reflected on the aspects of my life which had very obvious changes such as my personal growth, consciousness & belief and love.”
“At that time, the genius producer of this album, Floyd “Timeless” Thomas (which I had not met before) was talking to me via email in discussing what I wanted to lyrically present. He was responsible for drafting the music and when he sent it back to me, I was in such awe because the music was sonically representative of the story I had pictured in my head. I mean everything happened so naturally, without forced energies or pretense. So commonly when I work with a new producer, sometimes the relationship doesn’t necessarily blend well together but Floyd always told me that we have is that of Quincy (Jones) & Michael (Jackson).”
The highlight of the EP is ‘Truth,’ a songs that speaks about truth, honesty within one’s self, and how many things come together in order to search for its meaning. “There’s more to life than the news feeds//Tell me do you feel the pain when other people too bleed//Tell me do you feel the hunger even if you spoon fed//The money that you makin mean nothin when you dead” Zamaera carries it with so much emotional weight that you can almost feel the burden on your shoulders as she continues on questioning in an existential capacity, about progress, about religion, about being kind, and whether she’s doing enough. The delivery is so effortless, drawing upon reservoirs upon reservoirs of penned up thoughts, fears, hopes, that it flows so beautifully in a span of 4 minutes, intensified by string backing that harmonises with the grand piano to deliver one hell of an emotional kamehameha.
Z The EP is absolutely fantastic in every sense of the word, nuff said. The 29th March release date could not arrive soon enough.
