Maher Zain will sing works from three top albums in Cape Town at the Artscape Opera House on 26 and 27 October, 2018 at 8.15pm.
The Islamic superstar’s appearance here features a collaboration with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO).
Clocking in as the most popular Muslim artist on Facebook and most viewed Muslim artist on YouTube, the popularity of this Swedish singer/songwriter highlights how music resonates across borders.
What’s his standout feature?
“Honestly I don’t know myself. But I truly believe first and foremost is that success comes from Allah (swt). He’s blessed me with great people and a great team that have helped me both on a personal and professional level. And I always pray and hope that the love people have for me and my music is a sign that Allah is satisfied with me. And secondly I believe that people relate to the music we’ve done so far. Specially the lyrics,” he says.
Maher’s approach to creating new compositions
“There are several ways of writing a song. You can come up with a chorus line and then build the song from there, or start with a melody, make the arrangement (music production) and then write the lyrics. Or sometimes you have the lyrics and then write a melody for it and so on. There are many ways. I usually make melodies and a demo arrangement and then write lyrics on top of that.”
The global music scene mostly cycles the same blueprint – does he find it somewhat formulaic? “I think it’s actually always been like that. People follow the trends. I try not to over-think when I create music, but it’s easier said than done, because after three albums I feel that I need to think about how to bring something fresh and not sounding similar to my previous work. But creating music needs to be fun and you need to have a good vibe with the people you work with. And that’s when, in my opinion, the best song comes out. When you’re just feeling it,” he adds.
The singer’s discography spans a various genres, and he’s chosen a specific playlist for Maher Zain Live in Cape Town: “We have a very good selection, and a variety from all my three albums, plus some singles. Playing with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, which by the way I’m extremely excited about, will make my music sound much bigger and sound epic inshaAllah.”
The 45-piece CPO
This showcase with the 45-piece CPO promises to be an exceptional experience. John Walton, who along with Marvin Bourne is orchestrating songs for the concerts explains, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore cultural crossover music where the orchestra enhances the colours and nuances of the deeply reverential and moving music of Maher Zain.”
Conductor Brandon Phillips concurs: “Zain is such a consummate musician and the arrangers of his material so good, that I can’t wait to get my hands on the scores. There is also an extra frisson of excitement that comes from accompanying a great singer for the first time with the full sound of a symphony.”
As for the future of Maher Zain: “I haven’t officially started working on my next album yet, but I want to come with something fresh and different this time inshaAllah. I already have some ideas that I hope you guys will like InshaAllah! But I can’t reveal all secrets now!”
Maher embraces both contemporary and heritage music in his songs, but how does he view his roots?
“I feel that my identity is quite mixed, because I was born in Lebanon and moved to Sweden at a young age. But this fusion has also helped me a lot in my music career, because having the two backgrounds made it easier for me to speak and sing in both English and Arabic, and also many other languages, and you can also hear that mix in my music.”
What: Maher Zain interview
Maher Zain Concerts: Cape Town: 26, 27 October, 8.15pm, Artscape Opera House
Maher Zain tickets: From R150 www.computicket.com
Maher Zain Twitter: @MaherZain, #MaherZainInCapeTown
Instagram: Maherzainofficial
Maher Zain South Africa: Inner Circle Entertainment @InnerCircleLive
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