Shabir

Personal life

Shabir is born in Singapore. His father's origin is Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He is of mixed heritage from an Urdu speaking father and a Malay/Tamil mother. Shabir started songwriting at an early age and wrote & composed his first song at the age of 12.

Career

Shabir started songwriting and song composition when he was 12 years old. Starting out as a self-taught keyboardist, he went on to learn Hindustani Classical Music under the tutelage of violinist Sri Veereshwar Madhri and guitar from Steeve Vatz. Shabir also graduated with a bachelor's degree in music production and composition and is an alumnus of SAE Singapore.

Shabir remains one of the leading recording artiste in Singapore with a strong fan following in the region having released three albums to date 'Alaipayuthey', 'TraffiQ' and 'Swasam-Scents of Prose'. Shabir's music is known to be an eclectic concoction of various genres and influences that includes pop, indie, alternative rock and world music. Shabir's lyrical style consists of wordplay, metaphor and he often experiments with cadence. His edgy vocal rendition marks a distinct style that owes itself to his early metal and rock influences such as Rage Against The Machine and Metallica.

Film Music

Shabir started his film music career in Tamil cinema as a playback singer and songwriter. Shabir sang two songs in the Indian film Vathikutchi produced by A.R Murugadoss. He also wrote lyrics and recorded a rap based on a ragaa for one of the songs. Shabir received positive reviews from critics for his rendition of the song Ari Unnai. The audio of the film launched on 13 Feb 2013 in Chennai. Shabir recorded a song for Drums Sivamani titled "Yaaro Yaar Aval" from the movie Arima Nambi In 2016 Shabir wrote and sang for the Venkatesh starrer Telugu film Babu Bangaram. He is now making his debut as a film composer for a Tamil film called Sagaa. The film is slated for a late 2017 release. The song titled "Yaayum" from Sagaa became a hit upon its release, receiving acclaim from critics and fans. Shabir signed his next film titled "Sanguchakkaram" produced by the makers of Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom and Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara. "Sanguchakkaram" is due for release in late 2017.

Independent Music

Shabir was one of the first few to drive the international Tamil independent music movement. His first album "Alaipayuthey" was released in 2005. Shabir's independent music from his later albums TraffiQ (Dejavu & Nagaravaytai) received regular airplay on both local and international channels including MTV Asia . and Channel V. which garnered him a good following in South East Asia.

"Swasam – Scents of Prose" produced by High Breed Media was released on 7 April 2012 to positive reviews. The album has an eclectic combination of various musical styles and features poetry recitations by prominent personalities and luminaries from Singapore such as the nation's 6th President S.R Nathan, Minister S Iswaran, former NMP Viswa Sadasivan and many others.

Shabir is currently the CEO of Shabir Music Academy, a music school based in Singapore, which is affiliated with Rockschool UK.

Controversy

Shabir has courted controversy since he took part in inaugural Vasantham Star competition in 2005. The singer received mixed reviews on his performances, and was under scrutiny for his pronunciation and slang when singing.

After impressing the judges during the quarter finals, he was eventually expelled from the competition altogether during the semis. This provoked an eruption among his growing fan base. His departure resulted in the local community writing a petition that was signed by more than 500 members of the public.

Understanding the dynamics of his participation, the producers for the first time in Tamil television history, introduced a wild card entry which made way for Shabir's re-entry into the competition.

Shabir eventually won the talent quest.

Awards