The Siren of the Seaside City: An Interview with Zoe Viccaji

by Asmara A. Malik

To call Zoe Viccaji a rising star would be a gross understatement. As a crucial part of the seminal Coke Studio phenomenon for the past six years, and with a vast repertoire of increasingly visible solo and theatre performances under her belt already, you would have to be living under a rock to not see that her star has truly and firmly arrived.

The proud Karachiite, born to a Christian mother and Parsi father, cannot recall a time when music wasn’t part of her life. The Viccaji family is as artistically inclined as they come (all three siblings have been a vibrant part of the Karachi art and music scene) and it was perhaps that nurturing environment that led her to fully pursue her first love– music. When the question is put to her, her response is emphatic:

“From the moment I heard the first song that I liked, I had to learn to sing it and perform it. As kids, we would pretend to be performing and put on concerts to an audience of plants in the garden. Now, singing on stage or finishing a song brings me so much joy, it’s something I want to keep doing over and over again.”

With a career spanning over a decade, the range and depth of Viccaji’s work is astounding. Starting her career as a teenage musician with ‘Ganda Bandas’ and evolving as a singer and actor with growing mastery over multiple languages, she’s clearly not one to spend much time looking back. She credits her time in Karachi as instrumental in determining the direction of her musical journey.

“I think if I had stayed in New York [after college], my career would’ve gone more along the musical theatre route. I would have aimed for Broadway, for sure. I would also probably still be writing music and performing my own music, but staying more in the indie loop. I would have stuck to singing in English, for sure.

“My growth in Karachi just took me into a very different zone. Here, I had access to Eastern classical music and Coke Studio, which inevitably took me on a journey of exploring the eastern side of music. Also, singing in Urdu made so much more sense since I was living in Pakistan, and singing for an audience here. And even though it was super daunting at first, I enjoy it now.

“Overall, I feel very fortunate at the turn of events. I’ve always wanted to be close to my family and being out of Pakistan after college just wasn’t a very happy option. I therefore feel very grateful that I have been able to live in Karachi and continue pursuing what I love most.”

With a BA in Art and Sociology from Hamilton College, New York, Viccaji is the embodiment of an artist successfully pursuing her passion as a profession. This is unique in a country like Pakistan, with its prevalent middle-class mantra of ‘get-a-real-degree-even-if-you-want-to-get-into-arts’, spawning a schizophrenic mix of doctors who sing, accountants who are poets and engineers who are actors. I ask her if she thinks this trend is conducive or more damaging to the younger generation.

“I guess I need to think about that one in the context of what I would tell my children to do. At the end of the day its different strokes for different folks, but I would say it would be wise to have a back-up plan especially in a field where is difficult to sustain oneself. Having said that, I also think that once you get your degree, it’s important to throw yourself headfirst into whatever you love to do and do it with all your heart – and money should not be a guiding force. I can only speak of my personal experience where I flitted around for a few years before finally settling on music. My mother always told us to do what we love doing, and the money will follow.”

In a music scene dominated by powerhouse vocalists like Meesha Shafi and Quratulain Baloch, Zoe’s laid-back, black-coffee, smoky-jazz-infused voice results in the sonic equivalent of a double-take for the average listener. Without the typical eastern fanfare of ‘alaaps‘ and ‘raags’, her songs are at once elegantly modern, yet deeply rooted in an unmistakably Pakistani style. With her razor-clean sound and vocal precision, I am not surprised to learn that Ella Fitzgerald is her oft-cited inspiration. “It’s her voice that I loved. The warmth and grain in her tone was very comforting, and I enjoyed the ease with which she sang.”

Among contemporary singer-songwriters, she professes to a fascination with the late Amy Winehouse. “Her music seems like a true extension of herself. I liked her style and the very nonchalant attitude she had when performing.”

Another facet of Viccaji’s musical persona that sets her apart from many female singers is her ease with collaborative efforts. Be it with major players like Strings, or on a more intimate scale like in “Zoe & Zohaib,” she is not afraid of trying out new musical styles with performers from different genres.

I first heard her solo voice on ‘Bolo’, a song that came about from her collaboration with Zohaib Kazi, the production guru behind ‘Ismail ka Urdu Shehr’ and Coke Studio veteran. “Zohaib had first asked me to lend vocals to one of the songs on his album,” she elaborates, “and that’s when we realized we really enjoyed working together. As a solo musician or producer, one craves another brain to work with, and another person to depend on. I think Zohaib and I saw each other as a good partnership, and I’ve learnt a lot about myself from working as part of a duo.”

As evocative as it is moving, ‘Bolo’ is an emotional song, empowered by its honesty and playfulness, with a rousing chorus sung by Pakistani schoolchildren. I ask her if being part of a minority in a predominantly Muslim nation had any impact on her rendering of the song: “I don’t know if the religious angle had anything to do with my sentiments towards that song. But being a part of ‘Bolo’ felt exhilarating, I felt I was part of a bigger effort to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones, and be vocal.”

Going a step further, I ask her if she ever felt that she was discriminated against or somehow ostracised while growing up in Pakistan: “No, I’ve never felt that way. Not to say discrimination does not exist, I personally know many people from minorities who have been deeply affected.”

As a fan, I’m curious about the future of one my favourite duos but Viccaji’s growing fame and the sheer amount of projects she has lined up may mean limited releases from the project. “Zohaib and I are constantly on varying tangents with regard to music- if our paths meet again then perhaps there could be a mini-album.”

With the conclusion of the current season of Coke Studio, I ask her about the impact the multilingual, genre-bending show had on her shaping her musical sensibility from the early part of her career till now.

“It’s like going to an excellent university and having this amazing library that you have open access to. That’s how I felt about Coke Studio. It was not the be all and end all of my music career, but it was a huge part of helping me shape it. It put me in touch with our musical roots- a whole range of beautiful compositions, a great team, many gifted musicians, all sorts of inspirational singers- and it felt even greater that I could be a part of the final music that came out of it all. I feel I have graduated with so much to carry with me and so much to look forward to.”

When asked about her favourite Coke Studio memory, she reminisces: “It is perhaps unfitting that one of my favourite memories is non-music related, but here it is: I loved the downtime I got with the house band. The conversations and the fun we had on set in between the long hours of recording. Nearly beating our keyboardist Jaffer in a game of pool (on a snooker table), and having the percussionist Babar Khanna on my side rooting for me, made me feel so welcome and happy to be in Coke Studio. ”

My favourite track of her recent Coke Studio performances, ‘Raat Gaye’ showcases her vocal range in a very subtle, laid back manner within a theatrical atmosphere — like Mad Men set in Karachi! I ask her about her inspiration for that particular song and its vocal style and what her biggest challenge was while executing her vision.

“‘Raat Gaye’ is actually derived from a song I wrote in English called ‘Quarter to Three’ – It’s something I wrote just when I returned to Pakistan from five years abroad, and I felt a bit lost. I wondered who I was or what I would ever be. That’s when ‘Quarter to Three’ came about – you’ve hit the nail on the head! I think it was stylistically influenced by my love for musical theatre.

“When I was composing it, I was thinking ‘action’ and a storyline of some sort, and perhaps my participation in Chicago the musical was playing its own tunes in my head. When I was asked to contribute songs to the sixth season of Coke Studio, there was no doubt in my mind that it had to be this song. Unfortunately or fortunately CS could only take Urdu songs, so we sat with Sabir Zafar and had the song translated.

“The biggest challenge was getting the gist of what I was saying in English down in the Urdu lyrics. For example, we discovered it was hard to speak in third person in Urdu. The English lyrics go: “Quarter to Three, late after midnight, and she is still awake. //Wondering who she is and what she’ll ever be.” Urdu would just not capture that meaning in a direct translation– try for yourself! So we had to be more innovative and ended up with: “Raat gaye, aisay mein jaanay, kiyun houn jaagti// Kaun houn main, kaun houn – kahani kiya meri? So yes, the translation was the biggest challenge. Getting the flow of words and the weight while retaining the original meaning. Great learnings!”

Viccaji’s original compositions have some lovely poetry in their lyrics: simple yet evocative, nostalgic and even yearning. I ask her about her preferred method of coming up with the words to accompany her music.

“I like it to be a flow of consciousness. I come up with a melody and then just allow random lines to come to the tune whether they make sense or not. As I continue to work the song, the words naturally fall into place or get thrown out. I’m just about to enter the phase of writing again, and I feel my methods are changing slightly- I hope for the better!”

Zoe Viccaji’s diversity as an artist has often been praised, especially in the context of  her theatrical performances, but she’s very clear on how she sees herself: “A singer who loves to act!” With her musical commitments steadily increasing, devoting time to theatre would require some major time management on her part. I ask her if she will eventually branch out into non-musical performances as well.

“I’m not sure. I do know that I yearn to be in a theatrical performance again, especially after seeing my close friends do some plays recently. And yes, non-musical performances also attract me. I was doing a lot of theatre in college and not all of it was musical theatre.”

With contributions to ad campaigns for Levi’s, Bonanza, Wateen and Clear Shampoo, Viccaji has shown remarkable dexterity in creating commercial jingles without compromising on her integrity as an artist. I wonder if this is something she can sustain in the future and whether this blending will be seen in her future albums.

“Yes, I hope it’s something I can sustain. I try to work on music (whether it be singles, jingles, OSTs or playback) that adheres to my sound or my tastes. Of course, I’m always open to delving into a sound that I want to explore or look up to, but nothing that feels like selling out.  While I know justifications can often be made to allow for many things, I try my best to follow my heart and what feels true to it.”

The Levi’s campaign certainly stands as a testament, as her a capella rendering of ‘Mera Bichra Yaar’ with Strings was undoubtedly one of the best commercial pop singles in 2010. Its smooth-as-chocolate vocals and haunting lyrics proved to be a huge boost for Viccaji’s burgeoning fame at the time, and firmly established her as an exceptionally talented singer with a unique approach to reinterpreting songs.

While discussing emerging trends in the Pakistani music scene in the next couple of years, her lament is one that many a Pakistani music fan can relate to. “I’ve always wished for more live shows. Big public concerts! Music festivals, and full-day events revolving around music. Unfortunately the security situation doesn’t allow for that, and that saddens me immensely. I have no choice but to look beyond our borders for that experience – at least for now.”

As my time with the wonderfully eloquent Ms Viccaji comes to end, I ask her about what she wishes she had known when she was starting out.

“Ah, great question! But I’m afraid the detailed answer would be too long. Even after pondering over how things could have been different, or perhaps better if I had known better, I keep coming full circle to this one thought: I am a product today of all that I went through before- the journey was painful at times, as much as it was fun and exhilarating. I’m happy where I am now, and if there’s something I’m not happy with or want to improve, there is time, and there are more opportunities to come.

“I met this Sikh gentleman on the plane who related a very cheesy but true quote that stuck with me: (In a thick desi accent) ‘Don’t forget now – you see the past is the history and the future is a mystery, but the present? It is a gift. So enjoy it and make the most of it now.’ No looking back, I say! Of course I would love to help other people coming into the ‘biz’ in Pakistan so they don’t make the same mistakes, and can have a smoother journey – but then again, they too will only learn through experience. I know that now, in retrospect.”

Clearly, with the velocity that the unstoppable Zoe Viccaji has demonstrated thus far, we can only anticipate the great heights she will surmount in the coming years.

 

Asmara A. Malik is a physician, mother and murderer of darlings,  living in Islamabad, Pakistan. She won the LUMS Short Story Contest 2013 and was shortlisted for the Matthew Rocca Poetry Award by Verandah, an Australian journal of art, design and literature.  She can be reached at http://zoey-istan.tumblr.com/

Natasha Jahangir is a photographer and architecture student based in New York City. She is a regular fixture at New York Fashion Week, and has photographed various shows for Oscar de la Renta. Her photography has also been featured in publications such as Teen Vogue and Hello! India. She can be reached at http://onephotographatatime.tumblr.com/