Shabir
Shabir is a national award winning singer-songwriter, record producer, music composer and performer from Singapore whose works are predominantly in Tamil. He is the winner of the inaugural singing competition Vasantham Star 2005. The talent quest was hosted by MediaCorp Vasantham TV Channel. Shabir's Yaayum song from the film Sagaa became a sleeper hit in India and all around the world. After being part of an ensemble that sang the 2007 National Day Parade song, "Will You", he wrote and composed "Singai Naadu", the National Day Parade Tamil song in 2012. The song won praise from the  Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong. Shabir was awarded the Singapore Youth Award, the highest national honour given to young achievers by the Singapore government. He was the first artist of Tamil/Indian descent to win the award. Personal life. Shabir is born in Singapore. His father's origin is Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He is of mixed heritage from an Urdu speaking father and a Malay/Tamil mother. Shabir started songwriting at an early age and wrote and composed his first song at the age of 12. Career. Shabir started songwriting and song composition when he was 12 years  old. Starting out as a self-taught keyboardist, he went on to learn Hindustani Classical Music under the tutelage of violinist Sri Veereshwar Madhri and guitar from Steeve Vatz. Shabir also graduated with a bachelor's degree in music production and composition and is an alumnus of SAE Singapore. Shabir remains one of the leading recording artiste in Singapore with a strong fan following in the region having released three albums to date 'Alaipayuthey', 'TraffiQ' and 'Swasam-Scents of Prose'. Shabir's music is known to be an eclectic concoction of various genres and influences that includes pop, indie, alternative  rock and world music. Shabir's lyrical style consists of wordplay, metaphor and he often experiments with cadence. His edgy vocal rendition marks a distinct style that owes itself to his early metal and rock influences such as Rage Against The Machine and Metallica. Film Music Shabir started his film music career in Tamil cinema as a playback singer and songwriter. He sang two songs in the Indian film "Vathikutchi" produced by A.R Murugadoss. He also wrote lyrics and recorded a rap based on a ragaa for one of the songs. Shabir received positive reviews from critics for his rendition  of the song "Ari Unnai". The audio of the film was launched on 13 Feb 2013 in Chennai. He recorded a song for Drums Sivamani titled "Yaaro Yaar Aval" from the movie "Arima Nambi" In 2016, he wrote and sang for the Venkatesh starrer Telugu film "Babu Bangaram". He made his debut as a film composer with "Sagaa". The film's lead single, "Yaayum", became a hit upon its release, receiving acclaim from critics and fans. He composed for "Sangu Chakkaram", which was produced by the makers of "Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom" and "Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara" and "Neeya 2. Sangu  Chakkaram" released on Dec 29, 2017 to good response. His music for the film received unanimous praise from critics. Independent Music Shabir was one of the first few to drive the international Tamil independent music movement. His first album "Alaipayuthey" was released in 2005. Shabir's independent music from his later albums TraffiQ (Dejavu & Nagaravaytai) received regular airplay on both local and international channels including MTV Asia . and Channel V. which garnered him a good following in South East Asia. "Swasam – Scents of Prose" produced by High Breed Media was released on 7 April 2012 to positive reviews. The album  has an eclectic combination of various musical styles and features poetry recitations by prominent personalities and luminaries from Singapore such as the nation's 6th President S.R Nathan, Minister S Iswaran, former NMP Viswa Sadasivan and many others. Shabir is currently the CEO of Shabir Music Academy, a music school based in Singapore, which is affiliated with Rockschool UK. Controversy. Shabir has courted controversy since he took part in inaugural Vasantham Star competition in 2005. The singer received mixed reviews on his performances, and was under scrutiny for his pronunciation and slang when singing. After impressing the judges during the  quarter finals, he was eventually expelled from the competition altogether during the semis. This provoked an eruption among his growing fan base. His departure resulted in the local community writing a petition that was signed by more than 500 members of the public. Understanding the dynamics of his participation, the producers for the first time in Tamil television history, introduced a wild card entry which made way for Shabir's re-entry into the competition. Shabir eventually won the talent quest.