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Deeyah

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Deeyah (born Deepika Thathaal) (born August 7, 1977 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, composer and human rights activist of Pakistani Punjabi descent. Born to Sunni Muslim Pakistani parents . She is often called the "Muslim Madonna" by the media. Her style contains elements of Pop, Metal, Electronica and World.

Deeyah has performed and recorded under the artist name Deeyah since 2002.

Early life

Deeyah was born as Deepika Thathaal, at Ullevål sykehus hospital and grew up in Lambertseter in Oslo. Later the family moved to Grønland in sentrum and later to Tåsen. She is the daughter of Sunni Muslim immigrant parents. Deepika Thathaal's father has a big family in Norway, originally from the province Punjab in Pakistan. Her grandfather was among the first Pakistani immigrants in Norway. He is regarded as one of the most respected Muslim elders in the Pakistani community in Norway. Both the family of Deeyah/Deepika's mother and father are Sunni Muslims .

Deeyah started in the music business at the age of 8. Deeyah's father being a music lover ensured that Pakistani/North Indian classical music was an essential part of Deeyah's upbringing. Deeyah was signed at the age of 13 releasing two critically acclaimed albums in her native Norway.

Towards the end of the 1970s Deeyah's father established the organization Raga Music Society primarily to introduce Pakistani artists and music styles to the Norwegian musical and cultural sphere. Deeyah's father's surname was originally Hussain but he changed it to Thathaal in his mid 30s. The name Thathaal was inspired and based on his familial tribal belonging and heritage.

Deeyah's mother has no extended family in Norway. She became pregnant with Deeyah when she was just 18 years old. The 18 year old mother to be did not speak or understand much Norwegian and had no support system or family in Norway. An elderly Indian Hindu woman took care and helped Deeyah's mother through the pregnancy, she also picked the name Deepika for Thathaal's daughter . She died not long after Deeyah was born. Deeyah's mother became terminally ill a few years after the birth of Deeyah's brother Adil . Because the mother was in and out of hospitals for several years and Mr Thathaal was working 2 jobs to provide for his family Deeyah ended up taking care and bringing up baby brother Adil. A child herself Deeyah wasn't just a sister to Adil but ended up becoming a second mother to him .

Biography

Deeyah started singing when she was 7 years old. She studied Pakistani and North Indian Classical music under Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan. According to Khan Deeyah is one of his best and favorite students who he is most proud of . Deeyah's first national TV performance was when she was 8 years old on the show Halv Sju. In 1992 she sang at the opening of TV2 in front of an audience that included Åse Kleveland and then prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. In 1992 Deeyah was taken on as a student by Ustad Sultan Khan

Deeyah's first solo album was at the age of 15 was on the biggest Norwegian independent record company, KKV and her second with BMG. The first album I Alt Slags Lys through Kirkelig Kulturverksted, where she mixed various Pakistani musical styles with jazz and western folk music On this album she collaborated with Knut Reiersrud, Reidar Skår, Paolo Vinaccia, Audun Erlien, Ustad Sultan Khan and Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan from Pakistan . From the beginning of her career Deeyah has been called a limitless and groundbreaking arist Deeyah's debut solo concert was as a 15 year old at Vossa Jazz

In September 1995 she released her 2nd album through BMG/Arista. The music videos from this album caused uproar among conservative Muslims who claimed Deeyah was a bad Muslim for showing her uncovered back. She and her family were threatened, harassed and worse; during a concert she was attacked on stage. All this caused her to move to London in 1996 and to continue her career there in more safety. However she soon realised her past had caught up with her. Deeyah was working on an album in the late 90's when the chairman of Warner Music UK of 20 years who had signed Deeyah lost his job, resulting in Deeyah's contract being terminated. Her manager and friend Steven Fargnoli passed away due to an illness in 2001. Deeyah decided to give up her music career because of these circumstances, but her musical nature wouldn't allow her to do that.

These events made Deeyah even more determined to pursue music, which led to her working with Grammy winning producer Darin Prindle. Together they co-wrote and co-produced the double a-side single Plan Of My Own/I Saw You. However she was dogged with more controversy when these videos aired on music channels, causing Deeyah to take a break from the scene. She has also worked in Los Angeles on her videos and collaborated with LA rapper Young Maylay on the controversial single What Will It Be?. This video caused controversy and anger amongst the Muslim community as in the video she strips off a burka to reveal her bikini clad body.

Deepika changed her artist name/stage name to Deeyah in 2002 .

One of the very few female students to train under the classical Pakistani music maestro Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Sultan Khan.

Deeyah contributes more than music to the cause of women's rights. She is a patron of a women's shelter in Birmingham, UK where she contributes her time and support to its victims.

Currently Deeyah is in the United States working on a brand new album, having scrapped all previous material, working with various producers. Her new project will be unveiled in 2007.

Controversy

Deeyah's choice of profession was an unpopular one in the opinion of some parts of the muslim community in Norway from the very beginning of Deeyah's musical career. Initially complaints and the Muslim community's disapproval was expressed to her parents but when Deeyah started getting older it came directly to her as well. Deeyah's choice in profession, the way she dressed and that she was considered an outspoken modern young Muslim woman was considered unacceptable. Deeyah's behavior was considered to be setting a bad example for other young Muslims . Deeyah was followed everywhere she went, she was harassed, threatened and intimidated every time she would set her foot outside her home. Deeyah was attacked with pepper spray at one of her own concerts in Oslo . After being in several physically threatening and dangerous situations for both her and her immediate family Deeyah made the decision to buy a one way ticket to London in 1996 .

Hoping things would be different for her in the UK she continued working on her music in London. In 2004 her first videos started getting high rotation on Asian music channels B4U and Zee TV . The more her popularity grew the more unpopular she became in some Muslim circles in the UK with the same controversy and problems haunting her in the UK as they did in Norway . The controversy in the UK started with the video "Plan Of My Own" which shows Deeyah dancing seductively with a male dancer, this caused outrage among some Muslims in England and brought on her the same harassment and threats as she received in Norway .

Scared and angry that this could happen to her again years on in a different country Deeyah lashed out with the song and music video for the song "What Will It Be?"

"What Will It Be?" was never intended as a commercial release it was just for protest and was not available for sale anywhere. After months of pressure from fans Deeyah agreed to have "What Will It Be?" out for limited digital release in the UK only

What WIll It Be? Controversy

It has been claimed by the MCB, that death threats against Deeyah could have been faked or exaggerated in order to boost up her popularity

After extensive research by various journalists, and numerous others) into these claims it appears that the threats to Deeyah are not only real but that the full extent of the intimidation against Deeyah has not yet been widely reported in the media. This can be seen on several online forums and websites including even violent messages posted about Deeyah on YouTube.

Muslim Council of Britain issued also a statement that – judging on the basis of her name – she is probably not of Muslim origins Deeyah has discussed this in depth in an interview with the magazine Per Contra. In the article, Deeyah said that she is proud of the Sunni Muslim heritage of her parents and acknowledges her status as a Muslim artist Her name comes from a family friend, and according to deeyah.com should be seen as a sign of respect to that friend, and not as a sign that she is Hindu. Translations of newspaper articles about Deeyah and her music in her native Norway from as early as 1992 refer to her Muslim heritage as well which has put the motivation behind the accusation of the MCB under suspicion.

  • Deeyah's video not shown anymore on British Asian TV channel

The What will it be music video won't be shown anymore on the British Asian music channel B4U TV, they stated "We had threats which we were forced to take very seriously." and FreeMuse interview here

Ataraxis

In 2007 Deeyah collaborated with legendary musicians Bob James, Andy Summers and Nils Petter Molvær on her critically acclaimed album Ataraxis. This album is a blend between Deeyah's Pakistani classical music training, folk styles from Pakistan and Afghanistan and electronica

Discography

Albums

  • In All Kinds of Light as Deepika 1992
  • Deepika as Deepika 1996
  • Plan of My Own 2005 (Unreleased/Shelved)
  • Ataraxis as Deeyah 2007/2008 (Heilo/Grappa Records)

Singles

  • Get Off My Back 1995
  • History 1996
  • Plan Of My Own/I Saw You 2005 UK #35
  • What Will It Be? 2006 Download Only

See also

External links

Interviews

References

  • Deeyah Interview with The World Forum on Music and Censorship Freemuse
  • Deeyah Per Contra Interview
  • Norwegian Press articles dating from 1992 to present:
  • VG article
  • About Deeyah from Music Information Centre Norway
  • By Amanda Craig The Times UK
  • Written By: Jostein Pedersen
  • Ragas and Sagas by Richard Byrne 7



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