INDEPENDENT hip hop artiste Zamaera has been bringing colour and swagger to the music scene.
The rapper, singer, DJ and producer had a big win late last year after organising the inaugural Queendom Fest at Lalaport in Kuala Lumpur, which featured an all-female line-up, behind-the-scenes crew and local vendors.
She continues to dream big and journey outside her comfort zone with her self-penned and composed new single, 'Big Fish'.
The song is also a collaboration with local music producer and DJ, Daaliah, who had returned to Malaysia after his European travels and tour.
"It all started when I met Daaliah last July after not seeing each other for sometime.
"I told him that I feel like 'a big fish in a small pond', which eventually led to the birth of our single, 'Big Fish'.
"So that's how my 2024 will be kicked off," said the 28-year-old, whose full name is Sharifah Zamaera Al Edros Syed Zafilen.
As an artiste, Zamaera felt that she had hit her ceiling and the next best thing was to just venture out.
"I feel it's difficult for me to portray my most authentic self due to the conservative environment.
"I'm a very open-minded, bold and brazen individual and I believe that I'll be able to flourish once I've stepped out of my comfort zone."
Daaliah, who shares the same values as Zamaera in music-making, said: "Working on this track with Zamaera was an incredibly enriching experience and it provided valuable lessons along the way.
"Being both self-managed and independent, every aspect of the project, from music production to creating the music video and marketing, required meticulous planning and execution on our part."
Zamaera said the song was inspired by a sub-genre of electronic house music, made famous in the early 1990s from the United Kingdom called garage.
The 'Kill My Vibe' and 'Dulu' singer added: "Throughout last year, I took time to focus on the Queendom Fest, and working alongside Jin Hackman and his team from TongTong Asia as my project manager really opened up my eyes.
"I felt blessed to be one of the beneficiaries of the Dana Kandungan Digital, which falls under the Communications Ministry now through My Creative Ventures," she said of her first project as an event organiser.
She added that 'Big Fish' was previewed at the festival, as well as the Axean Festival in Singapore, and received an overwhelmingly positive response.
"The biggest challenge for me as an independent artiste is building a core team.
"For now, I'm working with professionals on a per project basis but it's hard to create longevity without a core team.
"I'm a very adaptable person but when it comes to my team, I have to be extremely sure about who I'm entrusting my work with. Although the process may be longer, it is worth it."
But the future certainly looks bright for Zamaera, who added: "I'll be working with an international label, producing my first ever full-length studio album, going on a world tour and organising Queendom 2.0.
"Be prepared for new music and a whole new era of Zamaera."
'Big Fish' is available on all major streaming platforms.
