DESPITE their diverse backgrounds, the eight members of local band Nadir stand united by their close bond and shared musical vision.
Comprising Ashwin Gobinath (drummer), Zaim Zaidee (bassist), Farique Nadzir (vocalist and guitarist), Santosh Logandran (percussionist), Adil Johan (saxophonist), Beverly Matujal (vocalist) and Stephanie Tham and Lor Phaik Sim (both on keyboards), the band, established five years ago, has released its debut single, Nafas, in September.
According to Ashwin, who is also the band leader, the lyrics tells the story about losing a loved one.
“Nafas is written and composed by Farique. The idea to pen the lyrics came after his uncle’s passing. That was also the time when we decided to come out with a single,” shares Ashwin, adding that most of the band members have 15 years experience, but only decided to come together as a band in 2014.
Ashwin is confident that the song Nafas will find a place among local music fans as the lyrics are relevant to those who have lost someone dear.
“It’s a song which is easy to understand. In fact, there’s this incident that happened when we were scheduled to perform in China. We had just finished practising the song during sound check. Then came a man who was teary-eyed and shook our hands, and congratulated us for playing such a beautiful song,” says Farique.
It was unbelievable, he adds, since the man who turned out to be Russian, didn’t even understand a word of Malay.
“The man said that he didn’t understand the lyrics but he could feel the emotion through the melody. He then asked us for the meaning of the lyrics,” adds Farique who is still and amazed by the man’s response.
“We still keep in touch with him. He is equally excited, waiting for the single’s launch on YouTube.”
CREATING UNIQUE SOUNDS
Asked about their genre of music, the band members say that they don’t want to put labels on their music.
But what is apparent is they do not want to sound like other bands, preferring to play their own kind of music.
“When we first got together, we decided to play what we like, and not be bound to a particular genre,” says Farique.
He adds that some listeners say that their music is inclined towards ethnic sounds, while others associate them with progressive or pop music.
“But one thing that they all agree on is that Nadir has a distinctive sound, unlike any other.
“We want to create music which showcases the uniqueness of our country. We don’t want to become famous just for the sake of being famous.
“What makes us different from others is that despite having different musical influences, we managed to come together as one unique sound,” adds Adil.
Santosh agrees with Adil but admits that it was not easy for them in the beginning.
“We went through a lot of experimenting to get to where we are now. But after working relentlessly and putting our heads and talents together, we managed to make it work really well.”
Ashwin says the band is built on values like understanding, friendship, trust and respect, all forged over the years.
“We respect and have faith in one another and we also spend a lot of time together, even with one another’s families.
“I take pride that we are more than just a band... but we are a family. We laugh, argue and fight with one another, but at the end of the day, we are all in this together with a common mission to create something uniquely Malaysian.”
And being a diverse group, the members sing in Malay, English and Tamil.