Dameer opens up about ‘Sun’ and future plans

Photo: Nelson Chong

Tell us about Sun. What is the song originally about?

Sun was inspired by a poem by Charles Bukowski called Man Mowing the Lawn. In it, he talks about having knives stuck into you as a symbol for the pain we carry with us throughout our lives. The song is about growing up, both as an adolescent and as an adult. We are all shaped by our childhood; a lot of us carry baggage from our youth well into our adult life. The song is about freeing yourself from your past, about letting yourself be open and vulnerable to the world. To let go of all that weight and fly.

Majestic Casual records has a very strong following. How much have they helped in promoting you internationally?

It is a dream come true, being at Majestic. They offer me certain avenues that I could not even dream of if I was still based solely in Dhaka. They give me the opportunity to represent Bangladesh at the world stage, and to show my work to a massive, international audience.I now consider Berlin as somewhat of a second home, a spiritual home.

How has the pandemic affected your music, if at all?

If it were not for the pandemic, I would be in Montreal by now starting my life in university. However, staying in Kuala Lumpur, I got to work with incredible Malaysian artists like Nelson Chong, Mandy Gioh, Najmi Arifin, Adam Sinclair and others. It can feel really taxing on the bad days, but I am grateful for what I was able to do.

Do you plan to release songs in your native language, Bangla?

Definitely. I can't wait to show you guys what I've been working on. I want to score Bangla movies, advertisements, and collaborate with other Bangladeshi artistes. I keep little pieces of home close to me, so I never forget where I came from. If you ever hear me play something of my own in Bangla, trust me when I say it comes from a place of deep longing and romanticism. I really miss home.