shazza's musical journey, from her bedroom to New York

Shareefa Aminah, better known as shazza, wrote her first song at 11 years old. Twelve years later, she released her debut album, Chapter One.

It is a combination of her catchy tunes and lyrical storytelling that saw shazza shooting to recognition. shazza has since headlined at the Esplanade, went viral in Canadian pop duo Crash Adam’s TikTok for her impressive vocal prowess, and even been featured on the iconic New York Times Square billboard. Now managed by local music label Cross Ratio Entertainment, shazza is juggling completing her university degree with her burgeoning music career.

Influenced by her personal experiences and the likes of Norah Jones and ABBA, shazza’s defining tunes tend to feature a melancholic guitar backing track accompanied by her soulful voice, evident especially in her debut album. That’s not to say that she shies away from experimenting with genres, with tracks such as None Of My Business featuring salsa beats.

"I tell stories through my music, so it means a lot to me when people can connect with my work. It isn't an easy career, and I truly believe musicians deserve full credit for their creative works, and having ownership over the IP of our work helps."

Motivated by both her love for songwriting and the desire to help her fellow hijabi musicians feel seen and represented, shazza is actively and steadily building her listener base, and aims to release her next album in the near future. 

Check out shazza’s music on Spotify and YouTube.

Of music and production magic

The work of a producer and sound engineer often goes unseen, but not unheard. Fans are more likely to recognise the faces and names of frontmen of bands or pop stars, but chances are you’ve heard at least one musical work that Jaydos has worked on without knowing.

Jaydos wears multiple hats – from sound mixing, to producing music, and even writing songs and has worked with over 70 artistes on more than 150 songs and musical arrangements.

Specialising in hip hop, rhythm and blues (more commonly known as R&B), and electronic music, Jaydos has worked with global artistes such as Diamond Zhang, Gemma Wu, Chen Zhuoxuan (of BonBon Girls 303), Jackson Wang (GOT7) and Angela Zhang to bring their musical visions to life. He puts together the different components of a song – from the funky bassline and groovy beat to the singer’s voice and backing vocals – to deliver a perfectly balanced tune.

Apart from producing hits for musical artistes, you can also hear Jaydos’ works in television shows, drama serials, and even commercials. This impressive portfolio has manifested itself in Ammobox Productions, a Singaporean music production company founded by Jaydos back in 2012, and now represented by Sony Music Publishing China Ltd.

"I love exploring new sounds when creating music and bringing artistic visions to life. With intellectual property, I can protect and monetise the musical works I produce."

Check out Jaydos’ works on his website and Instagram.

Working across different, genres, platforms, and industries in the ever-evolving music world.

Daniel’s interest in music started with his love for the guitar at the age of 10. It took years of hard work and effort to become one of the first call guitar players in Singapore for concerts, musicals, and recordings. This passion for music was also what drove him to hone his craft for music production, music arrangement and composing as well.

With these skills under his belt, Daniel’s impressive portfolio is highly diverse – from working with independent artistes like Corrinne May to Chinese pop stars like Stefanie Sun, and even composing music for TV serials, sitcoms, and library music.

Daniel has also worked on numerous musical theatre productions and has been credited in notable productions such as The Lion King, Rent, The Chorus Line, The Dim Sum Dollies, Wildrice’s Pantomimes, and has been in many productions by the various theatre companies in Singapore like Pangdemonium, Dream Academy, The Singapore Repertory Theatre, Toy Factory, and the aforementioned Wildrice among many others.

"I feel blessed to be able to pursue music as a career. IP allows me play and push boundaries across many music genres and formats. It’s this space to create that fuels my passion and growth."

Daniel’s love for music has manifested in multiple forms, and he is an adjunct teacher at both Lasalle College of the Arts and School Of The Arts (SOTA), where he imparts his knowledge and experience to aspiring musicians. Apart from running a recording studio at home, Daniel also has a YouTube channel that shares on the lives and experiences of musicians and many guitar-related content.

Check out Daniel’s works on his Instagram and YouTube.

An Adventurer of Sound

Evan Low, an award winning Singaporean music director and producer, is more widely known by his whimsical musical alias, Evanturetime. This alias serves as a signature for his diverse musical creations, spanning various genres from iconic pop tunes to captivating sound effects and commercial jingles.

Evan’s unique versatility has allowed him to lead various music projects. He has composed music for renowned brands like OkCupid, eBay, Adidas, and even provided his sound engineering services to Grammy-winning music executives. His team’s sound design has even graced the opening video of Golden Village.

Photo Courtesy of Axel Serik

"Having intellectual property rights allows my work to remain unique while being protected. It allows me the peace of mind to continue pursuing my passion and to continuously innovate."

Evan’s signature approach blends pop and electronica with sound samples of real-life experiences, such as the rustling of trees or the familiar sounds of a passing train. His unique approach has garnered him millions of streams through his collaborative projects with local musicians like Benjamin Kheng, Inch Chua, and Charlie Lim.

On a local note, Evan has also co-arranged and co-produced the National Day Parade (NDP) music from 2018 to 2021. Notably, he collaborated with fellow local musician Linying to create the iconic 2021 NDP theme song, ‘The Road Ahead’ and 2024’s “Not Alone” with Benjamin Kheng.

Check out Evan's works on his website, Spotify, and Instagram.

Paying homage to his cultural roots through modern hip hop beats.

Rajid Ahamed first entered the entertainment industry as a child actor, starring in television serials and films from as early as 2009. Fast forward 5 years, and Rajid is now better known as Yung Raja – the iconic rap star with an impeccable fashion sense.

Yung Raja’s catchy rap flow, cadence, and groovy beats will have you nodding along in rhythm. Many of his tracks feature sounds commonly heard in traditional Tamil pieces, and this unique twist easily sets him apart.

Yung Raja’s recognisable tunes have since earned him a feature in Apple’s ‘Here’s to the Dreamers’ campaign, where popular Southeast Asian musicians showcase their music. In fact, Yung Raja has gone international in more ways than one – having worked alongside rap icon Snoop Dogg for his album ‘Qualified’.

“I’ve been chasing this dream relentlessly, and I remain thankful that I am able to pursue music as a full-time career, while knowing that my music is well-protected by IP rights."

Now signed with Mass Appeal Records, Yung Raja’s activities span across performing at music festivals such as Pinkfish and Suara, and even opening for 50 Cent. Do keep an eye on this star – you never know when he might just drop his next track.

Check out Yung Raja's works on his Spotify and YouTube.

An alternative look at music.

weish (Chew Wei Shan) does not confine herself to a singular form of artistic expression, and has shown her talents across composition, performance, music directing, dramatic writing, and sound design. She is also part of multiple music groups, such as electronic duo .gif, prog band sub:shaman, audiovisual collective Syndicate, and experimental ensemble RATA Orkestra.

Unconstrained by genre, weish’s works can range from darker, groovy musical chaos to electronic beats with haunting, ethereal vocals. These unique compositions have taken her around the globe, from the Sundance Film Festival to the Golden Melody Awards, building sound installations in London, and even making the Oscars shortlist for Best Music in the film Shirkers. Her foray into the theatre scene also saw her writing the book, music, and lyrics to a musical titled Secondary, which has since received six Life! Theatre Awards nominations and won the coveted Production of The Year.

“In making or consuming any work, what I value most is unflinching sincerity. Intellectual property protection celebrates authenticity and protects artists’ ideas, so we can meaningfully trace our influences and inspirations as artforms progress and grow.”

An associate artist at Checkpoint Theatre and a radio DJ at Mediacorp Indiego, weish also curates and promotes indie music. She also performed her original composition titled ‘Horizon’ at the National Day Parade 2024.

Check out weish's works on Spotify, and look out for her future shows on Instagram.

Orchestrating soundtracks that give films a special flavour.

In his own words, Robbie Say’s passion for music borders on obsession. Having been through classical training from the young age of 5, Robbie eventually found joy in the creation of music. Today, Robbie has an impressive array of achievements – from scoring music for films, to collaborating with local artistes like Josh Makazo, and producing for Jasmine Sokko’s opening show for Coldplay.

Robbie’s first foray into film soundtracks was orchestrating for ‘Rumah’, a Malaysian horror feature film, in 2019. Within a few years, he was commissioned to co-write and arrange music for the Golden Horse nominated film ‘Ajooma’

Robbie has since expanded his skill set to produce music spanning genres such as jazz and rock. This has catapulted him into the production scene for corporate clients such as Mastercard, Tencent, and even CJ Entertainment. Notably, his music for Tencent’s Honor of Kings has achieved significant recognition, winning the ‘Best Mobile Game Score’ category in the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

“Music composition is a cherished part of who I am. I’m glad that my creations are well-protected, allowing me to focus on expanding my musical horizons.”

Beyond these projects, Robbie was also music director for Singapore’s Chingay parade at the age of 23 – the youngest ever yet. Apart from producing music for the parade, he was responsible for directing the overall musical vision across the various floats, ensuring that audiences were able to enjoy a cohesive performance.

Check out Robbie's works on his website and Spotify.