| Deeyah دیا दिया |
|
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Deepika Thathaal |
| Born | 7 August 1977 Oslo, Norway |
| Genres | Pop, world, electronica |
| Occupations | Music producer, singer, film maker |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Sony BMG/Arista |
| Website | www.deeyah.com |
Deeyah (Urdu: دیا, pronounced [d̪iːaː]), born August 7, 1977 in Oslo, Norway, is a Norwegian singer,[1] music producer, composer, film maker and human rights activist of Punjabi/Pashtun descent. She adopted the name Deeyah in 2002. She is often called the “Muslim Madonna”, [2] a term coined by the British press tabloid The Sun.
Deeyah is a outspoken supporter of women's rights, freedom of expression and peace. She often uses social media like Myspace and Facebook to raise awareness of honour killings and other women centric issues. Since 2006/07, Deeyah no longer performs as an artist herself; she now produces projects that give voice to other artists.
She is the founder of Sisterhood. Established in 2007 Deeyah's Sisterhood provides an outlet of artistic expression for young aspiring Muslim female artists across creative disciplines. Along with FREEMUSE, she is the co-creator and co-producer of international compilation album Listen To The Banned which features banned and censored music artists from The Middle East, Africa and Asia, released in 2010
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Deeyah was born Deepika Thathaal, at Ullevål University Hospital in Oslo, Norway to Sunni Muslim parents. [3] Deeyah has a brother named Adil Khan [4] Her father is from the Punjab province of Pakistan and belongs to Thothal-Rajput Caste, while her mother is a Pashtun from Afghanistan belonging to the Durrani tribe. At the time of her pregnancy, Deeyah's mother was only 18-years old and could not speak the Norwegian language. She found a nurse in an elderly Indian woman(nanny) who helped her through her pregnancy and labour. The elderly lady picked the name Deepika for the child. [5]
Proud of his familial tribal ancestry and heritage, Deeyah's father dropped his last name Hussain for Thathaal in his mid-20s when he migrated to Norway. Towards the end of 1970s, he established an organisation called the Rāga Music Society celebrating Rāga, the most basic arrangement of notes in Pakistani classical music, and to introduce Pakistani artists and music styles to the Norwegian musical and cultural sphere.
Deeyah's father was a music enthusiast. Through his musical organisation, he invited classical musical maestros from Pakistan to teach music to young people. He ensured that music became an essential part of both of his children's upbringing and in 1984 entrusted his seven year old daughter under the supervision of Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan. Deeyah studied Pakistani and North Indian classical forms of music under the grand maestro who would later declare her amongst his favourites.[6]
Khan was aware of the talent the little girl held in herself and urged her to openly sing in public. The following year, at the age of eight, Deeyah made her first performance on national television appearing on the primetime show Halv Sju. She would later perform at various festivals and celebrated as the youngest performer at major music festivals. Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan taught her the intricacies of the instruments used under the Patiala gharana and Ghazal, Thumri and Khyal forms of classical music. She would usually accompany other maestros on the tanpura, among them Zakir Hussain, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan. Deeyah was also the member of NRK girls choir as well receiving some music lessons with the late African American soprano Anne Brown. Deeyah also spent some years receiving further musical training from Ustad Sultan Khan.[7] Deeyah is considered among the very few female students to train under the classical Pakistani music maestro ustad Bade fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Sultan Khan .[8] The former called her "a favourite"
From the beginning of her career Deeyah has been called a limitless and ground-breaking artist. [9] She has been singing on national television since childhood. At the age of 12 she was invitied by Polygram Records producers to sing a duet with artist Anders Wyller, this collaboration becoming Deeyah's first studio recording experience. She was signed at the age of 13. Her talent was recognised nationally in 1992 when she sang at the opening ceremony for Norways TV2 channel in front of an audience that included Åse Kleveland then minister of culture and Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. At the age of 15 Deeyah's debut solo album I Alt Slags Lys was released under the Norway-based independent recording giant Kirkelig Kulturverksted. The album was a fusion of Pakistani classical sounds with modern influences [10] and featured many a prominent ustads including her mentors. She also collaborated with Knut Reiersrud, Reidar Skår, Paolo Vinaccia, Audun Erlien, Ustad Sultan Khan and Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan from Pakistan .[11] I Alt Slags Lys received broad critical acclaim. Talvin Singh accompanied Deeyah on Tabla on her national tour as a stand in for Ustad shaukat Hussain Khan who's health did not allow him to tour. It was at this point during Deeyah's early success that Norwegian-Pakistani community criticized her family encouragement of her musical career. The community felt it was inappropriate for a young Muslim woman to perform music.
I remember my dad having to defend the fact that I was doing music, even as a child. I remember this at eight, nine years old where ... various people come to the house and say, "We don't even let our sons do it, why would you let your daughter do this?"
Deeyah's second solo album came out in September 1995 under contract with BMG/Arista.[13] This album was released under her birth name and was titled Deepika. The album was produced by Norwegian Tor Erik Hermansen, Tommy Tee and English producer Nick Sillitoe. [14] The album received critical acclaim and produced chart success for Deeyah, giving her music video high rotation making her a prominent name in Norwegian mainstream music scene. One of the music videos from this album caused uproar among conservative Muslims who claimed Deeyah was misleading Muslim women by showing her uncovered back.
Her family continued to support her despite increased pressure and violent threats due to her growing presence in the media because of her music. Eventually, Deeyah faced these threats directly when several men tried to abduct her from school grounds to "talk to her". Intervention by several male students saved her from being taken away. A year later Deeyah was attacked on stage and sprayed with pepper gas during a live performance. At age of 16, after continued harassment and fearing for her family and personal safety, Deeyah left Norway for United Kingdom.
Two year later, Deeyah was given a recording contract by the Chairman of Warner Bros. Records, Rob Dickens. Few year later, when Rob Dickens has to leave the job, his recent signings (including Deeyah) were released from their contracts. A year after that Deeyah's manager, Steven Fargnoli, passed away from colon cancer. Deeyah was left on her own again.
During her time in London, Deeyah has collaborated with artists, musicians and producers across musical genres from Pakistani folk to North Indian Classical, to Western Jazz, Electronica and chart Pop music. Deeyah has been sampled by several artists on their album projects including Nils Petter Molvær, Seb Taylor, Novel, Bonecrusher, Janet Jackson (remix), Liquid Stranger, Masaladosa, Mark Smith, Futility Orchestra, Guy Chambers and Kaya Project.
Two year following the passing of her manager, Deeyah managed to finish an album in her own home studio. Her first single "Plan of My Own" went to number one on The Box, receiving high rotation on several music channels as well as the Asian music channels B4U Music and Zee Tv.[15] Controversy, reminiscent of her problems in Norway, immediately ensued .[16] Seen to be "dancing seductively with a black man", [17] small parts of the local Muslim community expressed outrage and put pressure on the channels to remove the video. Fearing similar violence she faced in Norawy, and after receiving threars, deeyah stopped plans for the release of her album.
The organisation that called for the banning of the Salman Rushdie satanic verses in the UK, Muslim Council of Britain questioned Deeyah's account of her threats and later accuse Deeyah of being a Hindu because of her birth name of Deepika", .[18] This was dispelled in a CNN interview where Deeyah explained that she was named by a woman who had helped her mother during childbirth as well as deeyah's heritage being public in Norwegian media since she was eight year old.
With growing frustration and anger towards the orthodox segments of the Muslim community, Deeyah responded with the song and music video What Will It Be. The music video for What Will It Be was filmed in Mumbai, India. In what was to become the infamous burkah to bikini scene, the video spurred more outrage in the already sensitive Muslim community. Her video was banned by B4U in England after the network offices were threatened with violence.[19]
What Will It Be was intended to make a statement about women's sexuality and their freedom of choice in anything they do in life. .[20] In the video, Deeyah depicts two seemingly opposing images of morality and femininity: the burkah and the bikini.
Deeyah explained her personal stance to be that of “non-judgment”. She does not endorse either end of the spectrum, but rather points out the right of each woman to choose. Deeyah did not allow "What Will It Be" to be released, but after many requests from fans, made it available for limited digital download in the UK only. .[21]
What Will It Be appears to be Deeyah's last stand with the conservative elements of the British and Norwegian Muslim community .[22] Deeyah left spotlight soon after the release in 2006. She refused to appear in the media and turned downs offers to continue her music career and moved to the United States .[23] Since then, Deeyah has not performed live or appeared in any music videos.
In 2007, Deeyah collaborated with grammy award winning pianist Bob James, The Police guitarist Andy Summers and Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær on her album Ataraxis. .[24] This album is a blend between Deeyah's Pakistani classical music training, folk styles from Pakistan and Afghanistan and electronica. [25] The recording of Ataraxix was done via online file sharing since all the musical participants are based in different parts of the world.
Deeyah now takes a behind the scene role in her music projects, focusing instead on supporting and giving voice to others.
Deeyah established Sisterhood in 2007 .[26] Deeyah's goal with Sisterhood is to empower young Muslim women by giving them a platform to express their creativity through music and other art forms.
Sisterhood is also widely seen to be a network of support for young creative Muslim women in dealing with their challenges both culturally and artistically. Sisterhood is an ongoing initiative and is today an organic movement consisting of young Muslim women based around the world especially in Europe and USA.
In collaboration with The World Forum on Music and Censorship FREEMUSE Deeyah has compiled and co-produced a music album featuring banned and censored artists from the Muslim world, Africa and Asia.[27] As well as receiving critical acclaim Listen To The Banned album has peaked at number 6 on the World Music Charts Europe and spent months on these charts.[28] Together with Freemuse, Deeyah's aim with Listen To The Banned is to help give a voice to the voiceless and to promote freedom of creative and musical expression and to promote the work of Freemuse whom Deeyah has been a strong supporter of for several years. [29] Freemuse & Deeyah present Listen To The Banned is the first in a series of Listen To The Banned albums to be released in collaboration between Freemuse and Deeyah. Freemuse & Deeyah present Listen To The Banned released worldwide throughout 2010.[30] The album is released through Grappa Musikkforlag in Norway, Proper Note in the UK and Valley Entertainment in the USA. Amnesty International in the UK is supporting Listen To The Banned by making the album available through their website end of 2010.[31]
Deeyah founded Memini in early 2011, a digital memorial for the victims of honour killings worldwide.[32] Memini means ‘remembrance’ in Latin. It features the stories of young women globally who have lost their life in the name of family and community honour. It aims to include as many stories as possible of such cases to acknowledge what has happened to these women by raising awareness about the extent of the problem of honour killings
Deeyah has been active in raising awareness of honour killings for several years. Since early 2009 she is directing a documentary film about honour killings scheduled for release in 2011.[33]
