Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I am from Crimea and a Crimean Tatar. I was born in Uzbekistan where the entire Crimean Tatar population had been exiled in 1944 under Soviet rule. Decades later, in the final years of the USSR, Crimean Tatars were finally allowed to return from deportation and our family re-settled in our beloved native land of Crimea.
The Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea is one the most beautiful places on earth. It resembles the Mediterranean coast and for centuries has been admired and inhabited by many prominent tsars, nobles, poets, writers, and painters. Inspired by the beauty of my homeland, I started writing patriotic lyrics and songs about Crimea at age nine. I start publishing them in local newspapers, and performing on radio and TV shows there. And as a child, I always told my classmates in my small town that when I grew up I was going to go to Hollywood! 🙂
After finishing high school, I did leave Crimea for Kiev, Ukraine to study acting at the National Cinema and Theater University there. After that, I was signed by Sony Music and released my album in Istanbul, Turkey before I finally immigrated to the US in 2008.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Zarema”?
A: Lately I’ve been increasingly aware of the many tragedies suffered by innocent refugees all around the world. At the same time, I’ve also been moved and amazed seeing so many others responding with generosity and compassion to come to the aid of those in need. I’ve been inspired to help and my way is to write, record, and sing about them. My hope is that my songs will resonate with people and the more people who see my videos and hear my music, the more will do their own part to help them, as well.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: It’s impossible to name just one! There are so many new artists and so many established ones, some even who sadly are deceased, but whose music provides
me such great inspiration. I’m often impacted by other people’s stories, and lately
the saddest ones seem to inspire me the most! Plus, the beauty of Los Angeles is
so special, the mountains, trees, flowers, the beach, the Pacific – all that beauty
there is so inspiring!
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “I Hold You Child.”?
A: “I can hear your little heartbeat, I will cover up your eyes not to see” is a tender message from a mother to her vulnerable child as they desperately flee from a war zone and she tries to shelter her child from the trauma all around them. “I’ll protect you my child, you should know the world is praying” are her comforting words of encouragement to her child, as she does her best to imagine the empathy of humanity to their plight.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Empathetic
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “I Hold You Child”?
A: I wrote the melody for the song and for a few month I could’t seem to write lyrics. Then one morning I saw online a little refugee boy crying and thanking a driver for saving them from an exhausting walk to safety. It took just a few minutes to write the lyrics: I hold you child with skies on fire. Overnight our fragile lives can crumble. I pray my child that after sirens, We’ll go home to Daddy’s safe arms.”
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: No child’s eyes should see the horrors of war and no child’s heart should beat in fear. I believe that there’s never someone else’s child in a war, we need to think of every refugee child as a child of humanity. My goal is to try to give them hope, and to shed light on their plight. It’s not political to want to help innocent refugee children and to help ensure that they’re not forgotten. To me, it’s important to spread awareness of their tragedies, and inspire the empathy of people everywhere. I like to believe that mass empathy is a great power that can help save the world!
Leymah Gbowee, the Nobel Peace Prize winner said: “Peace is not the absence of war, peace is the presence of conditions that give dignity to all”. As Crimean Tatars in forced exile, we experienced conditions that didn’t give us dignity. Now, as an adult, I want to do what I can to see that every child is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of where they’re from.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: There are so many talented artists, producers and DJ’s. I would love to have been able to collaborate with Freddie Mercury. His energy and passion, and his talent and his musical range were just amazing!
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Be prepared for many challenges, and many rejections. And don’t take them personally! Take care of your own self esteem and learn to find happiness from within yourself and your own creativity. Remember, you are unique and no one else can be you, and you’re the only one who knows your great potential. Even when it seems no one else believes in you, your drive and your perseverance will be your greatest assets.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Surround yourself with genuine people who appreciate you for your friendship. People who believe in you and truly wish for your happiness and success. Never regret choices you’ve made, just learn from them, make amends as appropriate, and move on. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. And enjoy every moment of your journey, since years later, even some of the challenging times will seem so precious and irreplaceable.
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