![]() ![]() "Flower" was influenced by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, whose music his father used to play in his home. Qawwali is a form of devotional Sufi music associated with Islamic culture, and Malik used Qawwali vocal techniques for the track, including vocal elisions, warbling, and "deeply centered but controlled fervor". On November 1st, Zayn Malik will tell all with his autobiography Zayn."Flower" is an experimental interlude, in the form of a spiritual,Pakistani Qawwali ghazal that Zayn sings in Urdu, his father's native language, backed by Ho's folk-style acoustic guitar playing and atmospheric sounds resembling a thick mist. In the book, which will feature personal photos and illustrations, the former One Direction member charts his childhood in Bradford, England to his quick rise as part of the global musical phenomenon. Throughout the book, Malik will give the stories behind his solo material, like the track "Intermission: Flower" that breaks up his debut album Mind of Mine. The tender song is sung in Urdu, and in the following excerpt, premiering exclusively at Rolling Stone, Malik explains how his father, a new guitar and the Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan inspired the track. This 104-seconds-long folky song is sung by Zayn in Urdu. One day when I was working with Malay, we got to talking about my dad. ![]() ![]() Over finger-picked acoustic guitar the half-Pakistani pop star croons lyrics in his fathers native language. I was telling Malay about my relationship with him and how important it was for me to do well for him, to earn his approval. Zayn Maliks single, Intermission fLOWer from his ablum, Mind of Mine. My dad's a hard worker and he has strong values. He was a personal trainer and is solidly built, and he used to go on at me all the time about being a good student and getting the right education. He wanted the best for me, and I wanted to please him in return. I wanted to show him, as much as everyone else, that I could do it, and once the tracks started coming together with Malay and a number of other producers I'd been working with, I began to feel that I was really able to express myself vocally and I hoped my parents were going to see it from my side. There was a little waterfall nearby that was rippling away, and it really added to the atmosphere. I knew that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music came from a spiritual place, and it was also almost like jazz: his band would find a hook, and they would sing and play it, but what happened next was pretty much improvisation, 'Intermission: Flowers' soon took on a similar vibe. I was just riffing lyrics in Urdu over Malay’s lopped guitar, and we got it down. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan passed away in 1997, but in May 2016 I heard talk that his nephew wanted to perform with me, to do a gig somewhere in India. He had taken on being the main guy in the band after his uncle's death and, once he'd heard the story of "Flower," he reached out. Doing something with him - anything - would be an honour. Fingers crossed we can make it work.īy the way, here's the translation of the lyrics: "Until the flower of this love has blossomed / This heart won't be at peace / Give me your heart…."įrom the book Zayn by Zayn.
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