Cover Story: Pathfinder
2009/07/23
FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN
faridulanwar@nst.com.my
faridulanwar@nst.com.my
FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN finds out from Malaysian musician Prema Lucas if her departure for ‘greener’ shores a decade ago has been worth the journey — musically, and personally.
IT has been 10 years since singer/songwriter Prema Lucas left Malaysia hoping to find greener pastures in England.
Two years earlier, in 1997, she had released her eponymous debut and seemed rather content with her burgeoning career.
But later, when the already ailing music industry became even more weakened, leaving many disillusioned, Prema began to question her future as a musician here.
So she packed her bags and, armed with a one-way ticket, headed to London, only to face bigger hurdles. These shook her up, both emotionally and creatively.
Not much more was heard from her musically, until recently, when news about her second album generated a pleasant buzz on Facebook and MySpace.
Two years earlier, in 1997, she had released her eponymous debut and seemed rather content with her burgeoning career.
But later, when the already ailing music industry became even more weakened, leaving many disillusioned, Prema began to question her future as a musician here.
So she packed her bags and, armed with a one-way ticket, headed to London, only to face bigger hurdles. These shook her up, both emotionally and creatively.
Not much more was heard from her musically, until recently, when news about her second album generated a pleasant buzz on Facebook and MySpace.
| I have always been passionate about jazz, but never really had the courage to incorporate its elements into my work, until I heard the seminal Herbie Hancock album Headhunters and in particular, the iconic track Chameleon. - Prema Lucas |
In Fusion, recorded in New York, features legendary musician Wah Wah Watson on guitars (an original member of Motown Studio’s band The Funk Brothers and has worked with big names including Marvin Gaye, Janet Jackson, Alica Keys and also the late Michael Jackson for his Off The Wall album in 1979), renowned drummer Peter Erskine (who has played for Kate Bush and Manhattan Jazz Quartet), Luis Perdomo (keyboards), Bashiri Johnson (percussions), who has performed with Whitney Houstan, Madonna, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, and Peter’s nephew Damian (bass).
Having performed as a street busker during her university days in Australia (she graduated in Arts, majoring in History from Adelaide University) where she honed her musicality, Prema later had gigs at Jazz Cafe in London, which she believed opened new doors for her in music. Prior to the release of In Fusion, she set up her own record label MoreReverb.com and now plans are underway to her expand her artistic empire.
We caught up with Prema by email to find out how she’s doing and what she misses about KL.
Question: Congratulations on the release of In Fusion. It has been 10 years since you left Malaysia and this seems like a wonderful gift to yourself.
Answer: Thank you so much! It really has been a dream come true to make this album. The way this project unfolded was amazing, and such an enriching experience. It is indeed a gift and I feel truly blessed and privileged to have been able to work with such inspiring musicians. I still get goosebumps each time I listen to the album!
Q: You had to do some “soul-searching” in London which eventually took 10 years. What did you discover along the way, before finding yourself again?
A: When I first arrived in the United Kingdom, I wasn’t able to work (because of visa restrictions) and as a result, I was stripped of the one thing I had previously used to define myself.
So the question was, who was I without the music? I soon grasped the fact that beneath the music was the same soul, the same heart and the same personality and my music was a reflection of that, not the other way round!
Once I had established that fundamental truth, I could then work out what I wanted. Knowing the core of who I was led me to each subsequent step towards complete self-discovery; it was a natural progression.
Having performed as a street busker during her university days in Australia (she graduated in Arts, majoring in History from Adelaide University) where she honed her musicality, Prema later had gigs at Jazz Cafe in London, which she believed opened new doors for her in music. Prior to the release of In Fusion, she set up her own record label MoreReverb.com and now plans are underway to her expand her artistic empire.
We caught up with Prema by email to find out how she’s doing and what she misses about KL.
Question: Congratulations on the release of In Fusion. It has been 10 years since you left Malaysia and this seems like a wonderful gift to yourself.
Answer: Thank you so much! It really has been a dream come true to make this album. The way this project unfolded was amazing, and such an enriching experience. It is indeed a gift and I feel truly blessed and privileged to have been able to work with such inspiring musicians. I still get goosebumps each time I listen to the album!
Q: You had to do some “soul-searching” in London which eventually took 10 years. What did you discover along the way, before finding yourself again?
A: When I first arrived in the United Kingdom, I wasn’t able to work (because of visa restrictions) and as a result, I was stripped of the one thing I had previously used to define myself.
So the question was, who was I without the music? I soon grasped the fact that beneath the music was the same soul, the same heart and the same personality and my music was a reflection of that, not the other way round!
Once I had established that fundamental truth, I could then work out what I wanted. Knowing the core of who I was led me to each subsequent step towards complete self-discovery; it was a natural progression.
Q: How many songs in In Fusion were written during that period of self-discovery? What about the other songs?
A: I wrote a great many songs during that period of which Destiny, Only Human and That Ain’t Love made it to the album. Most of the other songs were written in the last year that I had spent in Malaysia and the album covers the span of my life from around 1999 to around 2003.
Once I had selected the songs for the album, each of them went through a kind of metamorphosis and were re-developed and adapted to reflect who I am now.
So while they all began life at various stages, the songs came to fruition around the same time, during the pre-production stage.
Done that way, the album as a body of work really developed a strong sense of commonality; a collective, pieced together like chapters in a book.
Q: During the “trying” period, did it ever cross your mind to “hang up your guitar”?
A: Well in a way, yes. I was frustrated because what I was doing musically wasn’t fulfilling.
This was mainly due to the fact that my music was in a state of evolution; I was in the process of re-inventing my ‘sound’ and at the same time also re-discovering myself; both are synonymous with each other.
But, as I found my footing personally, my music too began to take shape. The turning point for me musically came when I started to introduce the kind of chords I’d always loved into my songs.
Suddenly, everything fell into place; my singing, my writing and my arrangements.
I have always been passionate about jazz, but never really had the courage to incorporate its elements into my work, until I heard the seminal Herbie Hancock album Headhunters and in particular, the iconic track Chameleon.
That album played a part in my expansion as a songwriter. It showed me how jazz and funk, groove and improvisation, intellect and soul could all form an extraordinary union, and that gave me the impetus I needed to make the kind of music that my soul was crying out for!
Q: What kept you going at this time?
A: It was the desire to create music; it is my calling. You know, I still remember the moment of epiphany. I was sitting on my balcony one evening, it was warm and balmy, and a strong realisation descended on me – ‘It is okay if I don’t make it huge and have the kind of success I’ve dreamt of before.
What I really want to do is to sing my songs and as long as I can continue doing that, then it’s absolutely fine by me. I just want to concentrate on making the best music I can make.’
And, just like that, the penny dropped. I was content to spend the rest of my life making music; writing and singing my best work. It was, as they say, ‘a light bulb moment’!
From that point on, I started listening to vast amounts of music of all genres and kept my life filled to the brim with outstanding, inspiring music — music was my focal point and it sustained me during this time.
Q: How did auditioning for Jazz Café in Camden lead you down a path of self-fulfillment?
A: When I auditioned for the Jazz Cafe gig, all the healing had already taken place and I had come to the realisation that no matter what it took, I wanted to make music.
Although auditioning was a difficult thing to do because of pride (we artistes are a pretty sensitive bunch, really!), more than anything, I just wanted my music to be heard.
At the time, I felt sure that the audition was something I was meant to do and so gave it everything I had. It did, indeed, turn out to be a momentous gig, as the resulting show at the Jazz Café was where the seeds of In Fusion were planted.
The Jazz Cafe has always had a special place in my heart and playing there again really gave me the boost I needed to pursue my dream once again. You see, pretty much everything in this life happens for a reason!
Q: How would you describe your place in the London music scene now? How different is it to the time when you had arrived there, 10 years ago?
A: I went through a phase of gigging in London but decided to pause while I worked on the album, which required my full attention.
Performance-wise, my music went down incredibly well in London. I’ve played at the Jazz Cafe quite a few times now and the audience has discerning tastes, so to have Londoners dancing and grooving to my original songs was most encouraging.
I think there is a real desire in London at this time, much more than 10 years ago, for original-sounding music.
The whole soul/funk/jazz scene continues to flourish and I’m really looking forward to promoting the album and starting to perform again in London.
Q: Now that you have secured the who’s who of legendary musicians on your speed dial, where are you going next with your artistry?
A: Well, I really want to start performing ‘live’; touring with these amazing musicians would be such an incredible experience. It’s going to take some serious orchestrating to put this together, but I believe In Fusion deserves to be heard live with the same line-up who played on it.
I mean, just imagine the show: Wah Wah, Peter, Luis, Damian, Bashiri and some brilliant backup singers and yours truly on guitar and lead vocals... well, I tell you what, I can’t wait for it to happen!
Right now, we’re looking into the possibility of some shows in the States, Europe and eventually Malaysia, these things take time to come organise, but that’s definitely the next big step.
Q: Do you still keep in touch with your old buddies from KL? What have you learnt about the industry since you’ve been gone?
A: Yes, I’m desperate to get back to KL and perform. It’s been too long! Besides, there are so many musicians whom I’ve worked with before so we definitely have to organise a giant jam session!
I still have a huge number of friends in KL and I do keep in touch with them, especially through Facebook, which is a fabulous way of reconnecting and staying in touch with mates overseas.
I have heard that there is a great ‘live’ scene in KL, which is brilliant as KL has such a plethora of talented musicians. I look forward to catching a few gigs when I’m back.
Q: Any plans to secure distributing rights for the release of the album in Malaysia? How are the fans going to get the album, since iTunes downloads are not available here?
A: We’re in talks with a few labels for distribution, so hopefully the CD will be on the shelves soon.
We’ve just uploaded the album on Napster, Amazon, LimeWire and IMVU amongst others. We are also looking into a Malaysian online distribution store for digital download sales.
However, we do sell copies of the CD through my website (www.prema.net) and we are offering free postage till the end of September, so hopefully, we’ve covered all the bases so that everyone can get a copy of In Fusion.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your label MoreReverb.com?
A: MoreReverb.com is a small record company with three employees, set up solely to promote me and this new album.
I have obviously worked with larger record labels in the past but it’s always been a dream of mine to own a record label.
So, when In Fusion was being planned, it seemed like the perfect time to set this label up.
I called it MoreReverb because if you ask anyone I’ve ever gigged with in KL, that’s all I ever wanted during sound check and gigs!
My ex-sound engineer Sunil Kumar will testify to this because I would constantly be asking, ‘Sunil, can I have a bit more reverb please?’
In future, I would like to produce albums for other artistes and eventually maybe even sign on a few acts. Until such time though, MoreReverb.com is happy to be a one-act label!
• You can visit www.prema.net to purchase Prema’s latest album
Once I had selected the songs for the album, each of them went through a kind of metamorphosis and were re-developed and adapted to reflect who I am now.
So while they all began life at various stages, the songs came to fruition around the same time, during the pre-production stage.
Done that way, the album as a body of work really developed a strong sense of commonality; a collective, pieced together like chapters in a book.
Q: During the “trying” period, did it ever cross your mind to “hang up your guitar”?
A: Well in a way, yes. I was frustrated because what I was doing musically wasn’t fulfilling.
This was mainly due to the fact that my music was in a state of evolution; I was in the process of re-inventing my ‘sound’ and at the same time also re-discovering myself; both are synonymous with each other.
But, as I found my footing personally, my music too began to take shape. The turning point for me musically came when I started to introduce the kind of chords I’d always loved into my songs.
Suddenly, everything fell into place; my singing, my writing and my arrangements.
I have always been passionate about jazz, but never really had the courage to incorporate its elements into my work, until I heard the seminal Herbie Hancock album Headhunters and in particular, the iconic track Chameleon.
That album played a part in my expansion as a songwriter. It showed me how jazz and funk, groove and improvisation, intellect and soul could all form an extraordinary union, and that gave me the impetus I needed to make the kind of music that my soul was crying out for!
Q: What kept you going at this time?
A: It was the desire to create music; it is my calling. You know, I still remember the moment of epiphany. I was sitting on my balcony one evening, it was warm and balmy, and a strong realisation descended on me – ‘It is okay if I don’t make it huge and have the kind of success I’ve dreamt of before.
What I really want to do is to sing my songs and as long as I can continue doing that, then it’s absolutely fine by me. I just want to concentrate on making the best music I can make.’
And, just like that, the penny dropped. I was content to spend the rest of my life making music; writing and singing my best work. It was, as they say, ‘a light bulb moment’!
From that point on, I started listening to vast amounts of music of all genres and kept my life filled to the brim with outstanding, inspiring music — music was my focal point and it sustained me during this time.
Q: How did auditioning for Jazz Café in Camden lead you down a path of self-fulfillment?
A: When I auditioned for the Jazz Cafe gig, all the healing had already taken place and I had come to the realisation that no matter what it took, I wanted to make music.
Although auditioning was a difficult thing to do because of pride (we artistes are a pretty sensitive bunch, really!), more than anything, I just wanted my music to be heard.
At the time, I felt sure that the audition was something I was meant to do and so gave it everything I had. It did, indeed, turn out to be a momentous gig, as the resulting show at the Jazz Café was where the seeds of In Fusion were planted.
The Jazz Cafe has always had a special place in my heart and playing there again really gave me the boost I needed to pursue my dream once again. You see, pretty much everything in this life happens for a reason!
Q: How would you describe your place in the London music scene now? How different is it to the time when you had arrived there, 10 years ago?
A: I went through a phase of gigging in London but decided to pause while I worked on the album, which required my full attention.
Performance-wise, my music went down incredibly well in London. I’ve played at the Jazz Cafe quite a few times now and the audience has discerning tastes, so to have Londoners dancing and grooving to my original songs was most encouraging.
I think there is a real desire in London at this time, much more than 10 years ago, for original-sounding music.
The whole soul/funk/jazz scene continues to flourish and I’m really looking forward to promoting the album and starting to perform again in London.
Q: Now that you have secured the who’s who of legendary musicians on your speed dial, where are you going next with your artistry?
A: Well, I really want to start performing ‘live’; touring with these amazing musicians would be such an incredible experience. It’s going to take some serious orchestrating to put this together, but I believe In Fusion deserves to be heard live with the same line-up who played on it.
I mean, just imagine the show: Wah Wah, Peter, Luis, Damian, Bashiri and some brilliant backup singers and yours truly on guitar and lead vocals... well, I tell you what, I can’t wait for it to happen!
Right now, we’re looking into the possibility of some shows in the States, Europe and eventually Malaysia, these things take time to come organise, but that’s definitely the next big step.
Q: Do you still keep in touch with your old buddies from KL? What have you learnt about the industry since you’ve been gone?
A: Yes, I’m desperate to get back to KL and perform. It’s been too long! Besides, there are so many musicians whom I’ve worked with before so we definitely have to organise a giant jam session!
I still have a huge number of friends in KL and I do keep in touch with them, especially through Facebook, which is a fabulous way of reconnecting and staying in touch with mates overseas.
I have heard that there is a great ‘live’ scene in KL, which is brilliant as KL has such a plethora of talented musicians. I look forward to catching a few gigs when I’m back.
Q: Any plans to secure distributing rights for the release of the album in Malaysia? How are the fans going to get the album, since iTunes downloads are not available here?
A: We’re in talks with a few labels for distribution, so hopefully the CD will be on the shelves soon.
We’ve just uploaded the album on Napster, Amazon, LimeWire and IMVU amongst others. We are also looking into a Malaysian online distribution store for digital download sales.
However, we do sell copies of the CD through my website (www.prema.net) and we are offering free postage till the end of September, so hopefully, we’ve covered all the bases so that everyone can get a copy of In Fusion.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your label MoreReverb.com?
A: MoreReverb.com is a small record company with three employees, set up solely to promote me and this new album.
I have obviously worked with larger record labels in the past but it’s always been a dream of mine to own a record label.
So, when In Fusion was being planned, it seemed like the perfect time to set this label up.
I called it MoreReverb because if you ask anyone I’ve ever gigged with in KL, that’s all I ever wanted during sound check and gigs!
My ex-sound engineer Sunil Kumar will testify to this because I would constantly be asking, ‘Sunil, can I have a bit more reverb please?’
In future, I would like to produce albums for other artistes and eventually maybe even sign on a few acts. Until such time though, MoreReverb.com is happy to be a one-act label!
• You can visit www.prema.net to purchase Prema’s latest album
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