If you’ve stumbled upon Maria Unera’s Instagram, then you automatically know how great of a singer she is. Her frequent uploads of covering different songs always takes our breath away. Team HELLO! was lucky enough to meet her in Karachi on a perfect Friday afternoon.
Hi Maria! Thank you for chatting with us once again. So much has changed since our last interview with you. How are you coping with the ongoing pandemic? Has it changed you in any way?
Hi there! Thanks so much for having me again - I’m coping, just like the rest of us, the hustle is real and it doesn’t stop. The pandemic truly did change me, in a way, it has made me more patient (I’d like to believe at least) - it gave me the time that I did not realize I needed, I got the opportunity to expand my knowledge in music and the access to showcase that through social media. It’s definitely been challenging but I have nothing but gratitude for all the good things that have happened throughout this difficult time for the whole world.
‘I used to post videos of myself singing at various places on Facebook back in the day because YouTube was banned in Pakistan and we had no stable platform to showcase our talent’
Your first big break in the industry was sometime around 2012-2013. It was a collaboration with Noori. How did that happen and how would you describe the experience?
I don’t think I would consider that my big break, but it definitely was the first big step into the music industry. It was 100% random to be honest. If I remember correctly, I had just decided I wanted to drop out of school and pursue music professionally and full time. Of course my mother at the time was very skeptical of my decision but she had faith in me - I used to post videos of myself singing at various places on Facebook back in the day because YouTube was banned in Pakistan and we had no stable platform to showcase our talent, Facebook was a best shot. A video of me singing Bon Iver’s Skinny Love got some attention around the underground scene in Islamabad and somehow came to the attention of the Noori boys. I received a phone call from my school asking me to come to the campus, I thought I was being called back to school, so I was really hesitant until my mom called and said to meet her there. When I had arrived, I saw cameras, Noori, my headmaster and a bunch of other people who seemed like they were part of the whole ‘crew’. It was then when I realized that the band Noori wanted me (and a couple others) to perform with them and work on a song together for a beverage company. I’ll be honest, I was so confused; I couldn’t comprehend what was happening or what was about to happen, but regardless of that I just went with the flow. I’ve learned so much from both Ali Noor and Ali Hamza and even after all these years, I am still in touch with them and we’re very much like family.
According to you, how much have you evolved since you started out? Is there something you wish you did different? Any regrets?
I’m growing everyday, it’s been about 11 years now since I decided that this was it and that music was going to be my full time job. I was aware that it will be tough and it will be a bumpy ride but I dove right into it with the faith that I still carry on to this date. My mother, she was my number one supporter through it all. Us humans, we evolve every single day of our lives, it is up to us to allow that growth - I embrace it with full passion, I have no regrets whatsoever. I truly am grateful for all that I have achieved, learned, dealt with, suffered from even - I don’t regret any of it all. I don’t think I would be here with this mindset if I hadn’t gone through all the aspects of struggles and achievements. Gratitude is a lesson that my mother taught me from a young age and I keep that lesson close to my heart so I have the ability and power to continue working harder everyday.
‘The band Noori wanted me (and a couple others) to perform with them and work on a song together for a beverage company’
How do you overcome creative roadblocks? What inspires you to keep creating?
I absolutely hate it when I reach a dead-end to my creativity; it’s truly frustrating but challenging at the same time. Over the years, I have learned new techniques in overcoming roadblocks. Sometimes I take it as a sign that I need to go easy on myself and instead learn new things to seek inspiration from. It could really fall into listening to a new genre of music, or reading up about someone else’s creative cycle or even just watching tutorials on music production or songwriting. And even if that is a miss, I talk to my friends who are in the same line of work, we often discuss each other’s ways of dealing with roadblocks. It’s helpful when you identify your community in the correct manner rather than ‘stealing ideas’ or ‘bashing’ their techniques.
How do you feel Covid-19 has impacted the music business or in particular yourself as a singer?
It made me miss performing live immensely, that’s for sure. But Covid-19 has also given me the time and opportunity to learn new things such as content creation and social media presence. I have released more tracks than I have before Covid-19 hit the world. Of course, I would love to be on stage and perform for the people who like my music but I always feel that’s a risk now and I believe the right thing to do would be responsible and pray that this virus goes away so we don’t live in uncertainty of a concert cancelling. Because for me, a concert being booked and then postponed is a big question mark on my mind on how to survive for the rest of the month or the coming months and that feeling of uncertainty is a lot worse than me missing being on stage.
‘Us humans, we evolve every single day of our lives, it is up to us to allow that growth - I embrace it with full passion’
If you could change anything about Pakistan’s music industry, what would it be?
Allowing people to have more than one genre or style of music. I feel that there is a lot of negligence to artists who want to do something different or something new. The music industry in the last two years has definitely been skyrocketing with all the cool kids releasing interesting types of music and music videos but today, that’s all I see. I feel like four to five musicians who have gotten instant fame are the only ones getting the opportunities and as a musician who’s been around for much longer, it’s gotten challenging because of the language barrier. Music is a freedom of speech, freedom of art, I don’t think it’s fair to an artist to feel like they’re clouded or limited to expressing themselves. Music is a universal language; a significant style is not all that it takes. Diversity is what builds a community and it is what adds growth to the industry and a new perspective to the audience. If there is one thing that I would change, it would be the ability to actually act like a community rather than a competition between each other. Clout and numbers of followers is unfortunately not going to make your music ‘viral’ - it is your music that will make it viral if it’s relatable and especially if you see the communal effort.
‘Gratitude is a lesson that my mother taught me from a young age and I keep that lesson close to my heart so I have the ability and power to continue working harder everyday’
Unfortunately, I see a huge lack of that in our industry. I mean, what is the point of calling it an industry when people are only willing to work with one another because of how many followers they have? I just fail to understand the relevance of that.
According to you, what sets you apart from the rest?
(Laughs) I think, the fact that I mind my own business...I’m not sure. I guess I’m growing old, but I always try different ways to work and I take different routes in my creative process. In a way, everyone is just different from one another in their own way.
In times where everything seems uncertain you see everyone having alternate career options. Do you have any such plans? Perhaps acting, direction or filmmaking?
None of the above, I guess you could say I’m a ‘social media influencer’ but it’s not that far off from being a musician, since you’re already influencing people through your music. But of course since the pandemic hit, I had to figure out an alternative route to earn a couple bucks to pay my bills. I made notes on ‘How to be a Social Media Influencer’ which I found on YouTube and I’ll be honest, I started calling all my friends who worked in different ad agencies to let me know if there is anything I could do to promote branded stuff. It was challenging in the beginning, often this line of work kills your creativity, but you got to do what you got to do and make it your own somehow. I don’t think I’ll be an influencer forever, because let’s be real, if Instagram dies out tomorrow, there will not be any influencers out there. So, I think teaching music, sharing my knowledge with the generation after me is something I would be interested in. I think it would be pretty cool to teach music to kids who are interested in learning. It’s either that or just cat- sitting for my friends full-time. (Laughs)
‘What is the point of calling it an industry when people are only willing to work with one another because of how many followers they have? I just fail to understand the relevance of that’
Any exciting collaborations or projects we need to look out for in the future?
I’m working on a bunch of stuff, I wish I could write it all down but it’ll take up some pages (laughs) however, I will add that I’m working on my second EP and on a bunch of music collaborations with my producer Turaab Khan and many other friends from the music industry. Hoping to have released all the ongoing stuff by the end of this year.
Your favourite project till date and why? Tell us a little about it.
There have been a couple, my memory is failing me. But I guess, all my projects are unique and fun in their own way - so it’s tough to pick a favourite. But I think any project that involves creativity from scratch and the freedom to express yourself is what really excites me.
There is so much unnecessary negativity and hate around us, mostly on social media. How do you handle criticism and opinionated people? Does it affect you?
I try my hardest to ignore it, but I am human so it does sting me a bit. I’m open to constructive criticism, I feel that’s always helpful. But the unnecessary stuff, I try to ignore - I look at it this way, I’m not getting any younger, I know my purpose and I am very aware of my goal, so my focus is all on that. People are free to have their own opinion but you shouldn’t allow them to control the way you would work.
Your work revolves around the public eye. What do you do to keep yourself centered, grounded and always positive?
Family and gratitude - these two things often remind me to stay grounded and appreciate all that I have. Life is too short for hate and anger, for negligence, for ignorance, for pettiness. Look around you and appreciate all that you have because out there, outside your comfort zone, in the real world, there’s a family who’s struggling to bring bread on the table.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Haters gonna hate, but you just gotta appreciate.
One pro and con of being in the entertainment field?
Pro would be: having a platform to create awareness on things that have either been hushed out in the past or that have never reached the knowledge of the public.
Con would be: the result of that awareness and platform. Backfire can be exhausting! That’s the deal with social media and the entertainment field, you just can’t ever be careful enough.
What’s next for Maria Unera?
Music, more music and just you know, more music. Probably a video or two... but you know, the usual...more music.
INTERVIEW: SAFA ADNAN
PHOTOGRAPHER: ZEEST SHABBIR
STYLIST: IFRAH HUMAYUN
MAKEUP: MCKENZIE KHOKHAR