At the 28,000-capacity Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, world-famous Lebanese-Swedish singer Maher Zain performed in the Kurdistan Region capital for the first time on August 30. One day before the concert was held, he sat dawn with Rudaw's Dler Telli to talk about his life and music career. In the interview with Rudaw, Zain expressed interest in singing in Kurdish as he has big following in the Kurdistan Region. He says the most pleasant thing for him is when he holds concerts and meets his fans. In the late-2000s, singer, songwriter and music producer Zain rose to mainstream musical prominence working alongside Swedish-Moroccan producer RedOne, an early collaborator with Lady Gaga. As his relationship with Islam strengthened, Zain's music became more faith-centered. He released his debut, internationally successful album “Thank You Allah” in 2009. Zain has since garnered a massive following across the Muslim world, with a staggering 5.8 billion YouTube views, 25 million Facebook page likes, and performances in more than 35 countries across the globe Zain is currently working on a new album, according to his record label's website. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Rudaw: You were raised in a family of artists. What made you decide shift your career from aviation engineering to music and art? Maher Zain: In college, music was always with me. After we were done with classes, we used to go to a studio to see and learn how other people would work in the field of music. My friends were noticing my passion and love of music, hence, they encouraged me to perform, too. It all started from there. Frankly speaking, I did not have a plan to choose one of the two paths, but I ended up embarking on music. This is what God wanted. So you choose music by accident? Yes. Did you pay attention to music at college? Yes, of course, especially during the last years of my studies, I started to perform rap music. It was just for fun. Then why did you not study music instead of aviation engineering? There was no plan in the beginning, though many of my friends would recommend me to study music as they knew I had an abundant love for music. Why did you choose the R&B music? When I was a child, I listened to hip pop, rap and R&B.. We were surrounded by them. In the meantime, I liked eastern music, too. I used to perform eastern music on keyboard. That is why if you notice, you realize there is eastern influence in my music How did you shift to religious songs? Thanks to my religious commitments when I turned 27 after I gained a good knowledge of musi, I embarked on performing religious songs knowing that they would be well-received and I could deliver my message and feelings. This is what pushed me to that. Additionally, some of my friends knew I had the potential and encouraged me to perform religious songs. In 2009, you released your debut album. How was that experience? The pressures were much bigger than what I was expecting. I never imagined such success. It was a pleasant journey in my life. It was the first timeI got to produce and prepare the lyrics of the songs all by myself. You have plenty of fans in Arab countries. You are even famous among Malaysians. Why? Our main target was Muslims living in the West. But once I heard that there were people listening to me in Malaysia and I heard about my fame in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, I was invited for a most pleasant visit. It was indeed very amazing. I had never imagined such reception. Thank God, I received many honorary awards there. What is important to you? I love to hold concerts where you are in an atmosphere meeting your fans and seeing your fans sing your songs. These moments give me a great feeling. For me, the message you deliver through songs to your fans is the most important thing. Do you have anything new in the works? I am working on a new single. It is in English. It will be different from the rest of my previous songs. It will be new and different. Sami Yousif has sung in Kurdish. Do you plan to sing in Kurdish as well? God willing, definitely. There is such a plan. Translated by Zhelwan Z. Wali
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