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On May 15th, first-generation Indian-American and Muslim singer-songwriter Zeshan B will release Melismatic (Minty Fresh Records). Recorded in Brooklyn, Zeshan's debut album of original songs follows his 2017, Chicago-bred breakthrough Vetted, which featured trilingual reimaginations of American soul standards that launched him to a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; appearances on PBS NewsHour and Democracy Now!; praise from NPR, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times; and fans like Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter, both of whom he has serenaded. Now, Zeshan presents his own rally cries for today's moment, backed by classic grooves and the Indo-Pakistani pride he continues to belt out in English, Urdu, and Punjabi.
The music of Melismatic brings attention to civil rights, elitist oppression, and, specifically in the case of new single "Nausheen," gender inequality:
"On the surface, this song probably reads as a light, airy love ballad," says Zeshan on the song. "But it's actually heavier than you might think - in my head, at least. It's an ode to the intelligence, beauty and effervescence of South Asian women - who for centuries have always outshone their male counterparts."
Listen to "Nausheen" here, and read more at FLOOD Magazine.
The first preview of Melismatic came with the social justice stomp of "Brown Power," released alongside a music video that featured Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Hasan Minhaj, Jesse Jackson, Dr. Cornel West, Aparna Nancherla, Nina Turner, and dozens more community leaders. As he told NowThis, in a feature viewed nearly one million times across social media, Zeshan hopes that his stirring sounds can inspire people into positive action and empathy. Watch the video and read more on how Zeshan defines "Brown Power" via The FADER.
Zeshan has shared stages with A Tribe Called Quest and Mos Def, and played venues like the Apollo Theater, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and Bonnaroo. On April 8th, he will showcase songs of Melismatic during a concert for Lincoln Center's new online performance series, Lincoln Center at Home: tune in to Lincoln Center's social media channels at 4pm ET.
Melismatic Tracklist
Stay
Higher
Only In My Dreams
Lionhearted Man
C'mon Everybody
Brown Power
Nausheen
Freefall
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