New singer-songwriter Zaim Ajmal is inspired by Bruno Mars
HE admits being a “freshie” in the music scene but this artiste knows what he wants. Aspiring singer-songwriter Zaim Ajmal, 22, loves the 1960s sound, and music videos which pay tribute to that era. His first single, which was released on Feb 1, is exactly that.
On Feb 22, he presented fans with a colourful music video set in the era of mop-topped hairdos, polka dot dresses, miniskirts, bell-bottomed trousers, oversized sunglasses, floral shirts and thick, long sideburns.
Zaim calls his single Gadees, an intentional misspelling of Gadis (girl). The song is about an aspiring singer pining for his ideal woman.
“Thanks for noticing it! But that’s how it’s supposed to be. There’s a heartwarming little story behind this song and the protagonist, that’s me, tries hard to impress his beautiful university mate at a graduation party,” said Zaim at the launch of the Gadees music video recently, with a screening for the media at TGV Cineplex in Petaling Jaya.
Gadees is Kuala Lumpur-born Zaim’s first single under Universal Music Malaysia and is a quintessential teenagers’ love song with a Motown feel. Zaim wrote it himself, and composer and lyricist Taja of rock band Meet Uncle Hussain produced it. The song was recorded in a day last November, and the music video was filmed at The Venue in Shah Alam over two days last December.
“I am beyond thrilled to release Gadees, having worked with an amazing producer and music video director. I hope my fans will love this single as much as I do, and I look forward to writing more catchy songs in the future,” said Zaim.
The music video directed by Khairul Hazwan stars 30 actors, and has that ballroom dance feel.
“I had so much fun filming it. In the process I uploaded several teasers on my Instagram account, describing what the video is all about,” said Zaim, the younger of two siblings. In the video, he plays a bumbling young technician and university graduate who works for a popular retro band, who are his university’s performing arts students.
While at work, Zaim falls head over heels in love with an attractive graduate. Played by Elizabeth Aishah, she is a new actress who is a close friend of Zaim’s.
“Our hero, that’s me, starts to fantasise about being a successful singer with the band. He imagines that he is dressed in the latest fashion like Tan Sri P. Ramlee, and he sings his heart out like a real pop star. As the dream progresses, he begins to dance with Elizabeth and they soon impress all the guests who hail him as the next big star in town, and the duo as the perfect couple.”
The music video also has a side story about graduates who have unappealing habits, showing off and stuffing themselves with food on the buffet table. These youngsters unwittingly meet the boys and girls of their dreams and this compels them to change for the better.
“Gadees lyrics talk about a singer’s desire to win the heart of his dream girl. It describes his Miss Right as an independent young woman who does not fall for playboys. It calls her a beauty with brains, and encourages her to give our hero a chance to be her date for the evening and beyond,” said Zaim, whose family comes from Kota Baru, Kelantan.
“I’ve just completed my undergraduate course (at Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam) and I’m waiting for my final examination results which will be out soon.”
Zaim launched his singing career last year. Having sung in school concerts when he was a teenager, he learnt how to play the guitar at university. “I’ve written five songs to date, and my genres of choice are pop and ballads,” said the ardent fan of Bruno Mars.
He has performed in several educational institutions and garnered a respectable 100,000 followers on Instagram. Besides singing, Zaim is also passionate about hairstyling, having learnt this from close friends while in secondary school.
“I admire (rapper) Joe Flizzow, who owns a barber shop. I’d love to have a Zaim’s Hair Salon one day. That would be cool! I don’t expect to become famous overnight, slow and steady is best. But getting into Muzik Muzik is a reasonable target, one which I am going to work hard for.”
Gadees is available on all digital platforms.