*The City of Chicago has long been a hot bed for authentic soul, blues and R&B singers. Standout vocalists from the Windy City have included, but not limited to, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Jerry Butler, Chaka Khan, Buddy Guy, Curtis Mayfield, Minnie Riperton, Jennifer Hudson, the Chi-lites, Earth, Wind and Fire, among others.
Now, another singer from Chicago has emerged, hoping to add his name to this impressive list of Windy City greats. His name is Zeshan Bagewadi, and he’s the son of Indian Muslim immigrants, with strong heritage and cultural roots from India and Pakistan.
Bagewadi, who likes to be called Zeshan B, recently released his debut album, “Vetted,” on Chicago’s Minty Fresh label. The album, which contains 11 songs, impressively debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top 10 chart of World Music Albums. The album’s first single is “Cryin’ in the Streets.”(Hear/See it above.)
“It’s tough to classify the music that I’m doing because it’s so different,” said Zeshan B, who sings nine of the album’s songs in English, one in Urdu and one in Punjabi, languages spoken in India and Pakistan. “There are no previous examples of a cat singing Indian-Pakistani, R&B and soul music like I’m doing. But through it all, I consider myself a soul singer, who’s creating a new genre of music that I call ‘brown-skin soul.’ ”
Soon after the April release of “Vetted,” Rolling Stone magazine, perhaps the world’s most respected music publication, placed Zeshan B at the top of its list of “10 New Artists You Need To Know.” Other music aficionados are also raving over Zeshan B’s vocal talents that deliver the goods in R&B, soul, and blues music.
While Zeshan B has been greatly impacted by the soul of Chicago’s music scene, interestingly, he recorded “Vetted” in Memphis, Tennessee, at the famed Ardent Studio. The album was produced by Lester Snell, who arranged and produced music for legends such as Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Mavis Staples and many other artists in Memphis. Thus, Zeshan B got the full Memphis treatment, when Stax Records’ musicians put their musical and soulful signature on “Vetted.”
“These are some heavy hitting cats who played on ‘Vetted,’ said Zeshan B. “They have played on so many great Stax recordings in the ’60s and ‘70s. “And to have the legendary Lester Snell produce my very first album was special, because he has arranged for some of Memphis’ best singers and musicians.”
Zeshan B, 29, is thankful to be where he is musically. Yet, he’s mindful of his past journeys that have helped develop his strong foundation for singing and performing soul music. He recalled growing up in Chicago, where his father played music around the house from an impressive collection of albums that represented blues, soul and R&B artists. Young Zeshan B listened to the music religiously.
In high school, Zeshan B remembered singing in the gospel choir, which was comprised of African American students.
“All my friends in high school were black,” said Zeshan B. “And in the gospel choir, I got a chance to sing solo on gospel songs, such as ‘Down By The Riverside,’ ‘Amazing Grace,’ ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child’ and several other spiritual songs.”
After graduating from high school, Zeshan B attended Northwestern University, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a master’s degree in vocal performance and literature. Following grad school, he changed direction in music after moving to New York. It was in the Big Apple where Zeshan B began performing with several opera companies. While he showed impressive classical and operatic vocal skills for three years, Zeshan ultimately walked away from this genre of music.
“I just decided classical and operatic singing wasn’t my thing,” he said. “I felt really constrained by it. Don’t get me wrong, classical music and operatic music are beautiful. They helped develop my vocal techniques. However, classical and operatic music didn’t allow me to express myself the same way that gospel, soul or blues music did. Gospel, blues and soul music is about feel and about the groove; classical music is more structured.”
Zeshan B, who also plays guitar and harmonium (a keyboard instrument popular in India) is now on a musical path to establish himself as a pure soul/R&B singer, while incorporating his Indian-Pakistani music and cultural roots. His debut album seems to accomplish his goal, as it contains songs to expand the consciousness of listeners across all cultures. There are also love songs and soulful R&B tunes, aimed at pleasing the ear.
As Zeshan B and “The Transistors” (his band) prepare to tour nationally, the artist is on a musical mission.
“My mission is to groove with my music,” said Zeshan B, who has opened for such artists as Rakim, Mos Def, “A Tribe Called Quest,” and once performed for President Barack Obama at the White House. “But, I want to be authentic with my music. Soul music really is black people’s music, and I have tremendous respect for that. I want to continue in that tradition of authentic soul singing, while combining the essence of Indo-Pakistani music. I want to be different, but, at the same time, stay true to authentic soul music, and the people who love hearing it.”
For more info on Zeshan B, visit his website: www.zeshanbagewadi.com.
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