What does Sheherazaad sound like?
A diasporan melting pot of South and Southwest Asia and American music, forging a new mysterious path back in time.
The review of ‘Qasr’ by Sheherazaad
‘Qasr’ means ‘castle’ or ‘fortress’ in Urdu and Asian-American musician Sheherazaad speaks of this from a cultural perspective. In a modern world where migration and diaspora happen frequently and fast, cultures and identities are pulled apart and rebuilt anew like patchwork quilts. Finding herself without a history of music for her position in the world, ‘Qasr’ is Sheherazaad attempting to make her own musical origins story. It is a magical ride.
This mini-album is a veritable feast of emotions and styles, with each song tapping into something different. There is an acoustic Bollywood-heightened cinematic tension running throughout the album and the sole constants are Sheherazaad’s dynamic voice and her equally dynamic orchestration. Both move from soft meditative, almost sly coos to bombastic shivers and bombastic howls in an instant. It’s as if each song is under attack but refusing to yield its central core theme or instrumentation.
‘Mashoor’ (Famous) is a seductive acoustic and hand-percussed track full of earthy tones and cooling vocals. Sheherazaad’s voice has an echo like the wind to it as she speaks of societal narcissism. The intricate guitar work sets you up for the Indian Tango of ‘Dhud Lo Mujhe’ (Search For Me). Sheherazaad describes the song as a “carnival for the unhappy” and its jaunty misery is abundant with pizzicato fiddles and haunting howls. It is a fantastic double act that presents an ominous and foreboding side to her music.
‘Koshish’ (Try) takes the Hawaiian slide guitars of the surfer world and drapes them over a waltzing Oud number. The track is a melting pot of East and West but also sounds like it could have been created in 1960. The bass-forward production and hazy electric guitar swirl evoke the 60’s/70’s hippy folk era. It’s as if Sheherazaad is going back in time to create her own nostalgic musical history. From that lens, ‘Khatam’ (Finished) sparkles with intense magic as a piano and vocal ballad of historic battles and apocalypses. The dramatic piano takes cues from gothic classical numbers but all around the layered vocals are tiny, barely perceivable synths and audio treatments. These add huge depth and tension as vocal layers and synths intertwine like cavernous echoes.
‘Lehja’ (Accenting or Accentuation) closes out the album with a bewitching finale. The song deals with the sadness of losing your mother tongue and the loss of ancestral language. A dreamy track, with piano and wind chimes as the foundations, it grows taller in stature as Oud and synths seep in. The track closes with a refrain of ‘azaadi’, a chant that acts as a call for freedom across South and Southwest Asia. With that, the wind and sea field recordings dotted across the release fade behind the fort walls and the album closes its castle doors.
Mysterious, meticulous and nomadic. ‘Qasr’ is an album that searches for a home, fails to find it, and so it builds its own home instead. From evocative vocals and Urdu lyrics to a bountiful instrumentation that leans into the mystery, Sherherazaad is utterly enchanting. ‘Qasr’ bridges many gaps effortlessly and feels wise beyond its years. For a diaspora community, it’s a record that will help people be seen and heard. For others outside the community like me, I learn and enjoy the forging of a musical identity. A stunning release.
Recommended track: Mashoor
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Seheherazaad - Qasr