International singer and producer Jaafar
International singer and producer
Jaafar
Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson- Editor
Consciousness Magazine had the opportunity to interview chart-topping
singer and producer Jaafar. The multi-talented international is known for
fusing the eastern sound of Jordan with rock. He has recently released his new
single “Sixteen” and his second single “Oasis,”and is traveling the world
working on his debut album.
Here is what the young and talented artist, Jaafar, has to share with the readers regarding his music and much more.
Aaron Robinson: You have recently released your third single titled “Sixteen.” How has the release of this amazing song been going for you regarding feedback, etc.?
Jaafar: Sixteen is the first single off of my debut album that I’ve been recording for just under a year now. It’s the first song I’ve released that I really feel represents who I am accurately not only as a singer and a songwriter, but as a person. I now feel that I’ve found myself musically, and that I’ve found ‘my sound’. I think people can feel that on some level, they can feel truth and conviction in what I’m saying because it does come from such a real place. As a result, the reception has been incredible; I’ve received feedback from people all over the world who have connected with the song both sonically and on a deeper more lyrical level. I’m very grateful to everyone who’s not only listened to ‘Sixteen’ but who has also reached out to me - whether it is on the street, social media or wherever it may be saying how much they love the song.
Aaron: As a writer, you wrote the song “Sixteen” which is written from a humanitarian standpoint about a girl in a war area who wants to live a better life. Can fans and listeners expect more songs from the album where you are bringing light to more social issues?
Jaafar: Yes, definitely. As a songwriter, I think I’ve evolved the most on this album as a lyricist. Before this album I was focusing more on the melody, and lyrics were almost an afterthought. Which in hindsight is a bit cringeful. I had fallen victim to the times. The standard of lyrics in popular music today have fallen pretty low, and for the most part they’re just shallow. The lyrics I’ve written for the songs on this album are much richer in subject matter than my previous work. I wanted my lyrics to be non-conversational and more artistic than my previous work. I made it a point for the lyrics to read as a poem would. I wanted them to be stand-alone pieces of work. We’re living in a crazy world right now and there’s a lot of commentary on that in these songs.
Aaron: What influenced you
to fuse eastern sounds from Jordan and western pop and rock, making them into a
unique and successful popular sound?
Jaafar: Middle Eastern music is my first love. For a while, I got away from that and I was writing and recording more straight up, western pop and rock music which I also love, but for whatever reason I wasn’t connecting with those songs I had written when I started to play them live. There was one show in particular last year, a festival date in Jordan, where I stepped off stage and knew I had to make a change. After that, I did some real soul and sound searching. I had to fall in love with my own music again and I kept writing until that happened. I’m happy that I’ve found a way to fuse both styles of music in a way that I feel is my own. I can say with certainty today that I’m completely in love with the music I’m making right now and I can't wait for people to hear it!
Aaron: As a multi-talented international artist, how do you balance the process of your artistry of performing, writing and co-producing your music?
Jaafar: It can get overwhelming. I feel as an artist, I have to be heavily involved with every aspect of my music for it to be genuine. I don’t know if there’s a formula to juggling it all, but if you surround yourself with a great group of people both personally and professionally that’s very helpful.
Aaron: You have made a major leap moving from Jordan to London and then to Miami. Was it a challenge making that transition to the United States?
Jaafar: I think the major transition for me was leaving Jordan and going to London. It was a big change and I had a tough time adjusting and settling in there. When I moved to Miami, I knew a bunch of people there and I was so focused on my music that I didn’t really feel the transition was that drastic. I was keeping myself busy and discovering who I was musically. My time in Miami was all about working on myself as a singer and a songwriter and refining my craft.
Aaron: What advice would you share with up-and-coming artist who are looking to make a name for themselves in the music business?
Jaafar: Persevere!
Aaron: Before we close the interview, would you like to add anything in closing?
Jaafar: I’d like to thank you guys for letting me talk about my music and for asking me such great questions! Also, thank you so much to everyone who has supported my music. The magnitude of your encouragement is not lost on me!
Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson- Editor
Here is what the young and talented artist, Jaafar, has to share with the readers regarding his music and much more.
Aaron Robinson: You have recently released your third single titled “Sixteen.” How has the release of this amazing song been going for you regarding feedback, etc.?
Jaafar: Sixteen is the first single off of my debut album that I’ve been recording for just under a year now. It’s the first song I’ve released that I really feel represents who I am accurately not only as a singer and a songwriter, but as a person. I now feel that I’ve found myself musically, and that I’ve found ‘my sound’. I think people can feel that on some level, they can feel truth and conviction in what I’m saying because it does come from such a real place. As a result, the reception has been incredible; I’ve received feedback from people all over the world who have connected with the song both sonically and on a deeper more lyrical level. I’m very grateful to everyone who’s not only listened to ‘Sixteen’ but who has also reached out to me - whether it is on the street, social media or wherever it may be saying how much they love the song.
Aaron: As a writer, you wrote the song “Sixteen” which is written from a humanitarian standpoint about a girl in a war area who wants to live a better life. Can fans and listeners expect more songs from the album where you are bringing light to more social issues?
Jaafar: Yes, definitely. As a songwriter, I think I’ve evolved the most on this album as a lyricist. Before this album I was focusing more on the melody, and lyrics were almost an afterthought. Which in hindsight is a bit cringeful. I had fallen victim to the times. The standard of lyrics in popular music today have fallen pretty low, and for the most part they’re just shallow. The lyrics I’ve written for the songs on this album are much richer in subject matter than my previous work. I wanted my lyrics to be non-conversational and more artistic than my previous work. I made it a point for the lyrics to read as a poem would. I wanted them to be stand-alone pieces of work. We’re living in a crazy world right now and there’s a lot of commentary on that in these songs.
Jaafar: Middle Eastern music is my first love. For a while, I got away from that and I was writing and recording more straight up, western pop and rock music which I also love, but for whatever reason I wasn’t connecting with those songs I had written when I started to play them live. There was one show in particular last year, a festival date in Jordan, where I stepped off stage and knew I had to make a change. After that, I did some real soul and sound searching. I had to fall in love with my own music again and I kept writing until that happened. I’m happy that I’ve found a way to fuse both styles of music in a way that I feel is my own. I can say with certainty today that I’m completely in love with the music I’m making right now and I can't wait for people to hear it!
Aaron: As a multi-talented international artist, how do you balance the process of your artistry of performing, writing and co-producing your music?
Jaafar: It can get overwhelming. I feel as an artist, I have to be heavily involved with every aspect of my music for it to be genuine. I don’t know if there’s a formula to juggling it all, but if you surround yourself with a great group of people both personally and professionally that’s very helpful.
Aaron: You have made a major leap moving from Jordan to London and then to Miami. Was it a challenge making that transition to the United States?
Jaafar: I think the major transition for me was leaving Jordan and going to London. It was a big change and I had a tough time adjusting and settling in there. When I moved to Miami, I knew a bunch of people there and I was so focused on my music that I didn’t really feel the transition was that drastic. I was keeping myself busy and discovering who I was musically. My time in Miami was all about working on myself as a singer and a songwriter and refining my craft.
Aaron: What advice would you share with up-and-coming artist who are looking to make a name for themselves in the music business?
Jaafar: Persevere!
Aaron: Before we close the interview, would you like to add anything in closing?
Jaafar: I’d like to thank you guys for letting me talk about my music and for asking me such great questions! Also, thank you so much to everyone who has supported my music. The magnitude of your encouragement is not lost on me!
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