“She’s intelligent, creative, and effervescent. She’s got no time for games. She will rule the world someday,” says Zeshan B of the protagonist of his latest single, “Nausheen”–a stirring soul number that sees the Indian-American artist seamlessly switching between languages as the arrangement unfolds.
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Zeshan B–born Zeshan Bagewadi–is a polyglottal singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose profile rose, in 2017, with the release of his impressive debut album, Vetted. A gripping performance of lead single “Cryin’ in the Streets” on Late Night with Stephen Colbert perfectly captured the artist’s blend of soulful vocals, ambitious instrumentation, and political potency: “My friends! Stay woke about Black lives” read a projection behind his band as they performed. It was a fitting message–the song is a cover of George Perkins’ 1970 hit, which was written in the aftermath of MLK’s assassination.
With “Nausheen,” Zeshan turns his attention to the plight of South Asian women.
“I wanted to give a shout-out to South Asian women,” Zeshan tells American Songwriter of his motivation for writing the track. “Unfortunately they’ve had to navigate a very misogynist society but in doing so they’ve developed superpowers. [The song’s protagonist] Nausheen has got those superpowers.”
For Zeshan, this song imagines a world in which women are rightfully honored for their intellectual, creative, and civic contributions.
“As a society, I’d love it if we actually valued intellect, creativity, and general ‘leadership’ qualities in women instead of just their bodies,” says the artist. “I wish men would just grow up and not be intimidated by women who possess these attributes. The world would be a much better place. There is none of that objectification of women in this song–no mention of Nausheen’s body or physical beauty. It’s her intellect, grace and vivacity that is instead praised.”
Zeshan recorded the track between Brooklyn and his native Chicago, channeling a range of historical periods and musical influences.
“I did most of the tracking in Brooklyn,” he explains. “I wanted to convey the sophistication of Lady Nausheen, and that led to my envisioning a sort of ‘renaissance fair / enlightenment / Mughal’ vibe for the song–like an aesthetic mash-up of the Medicis, Voltaire, and Akbar the Great. So for the main tracking, we used mostly folk acoustic instruments like this super old and beat-up bass drum, a fife, harmonium and mandolin.”
The song finally came together when Zeshan enlisted a former professor–Northwestern University’s Dr. Stephen Alltop–to contribute harpsichord.
“We put the icing on the cake in Chicago,” says Zeshan. “I VERY much wanted to feature a real harpsichord on the track instead of some stale sample. But where would you even start to look around for a harpsichord, much less someone who plays it? Well, you might say it was my good fortune [to have] studied at a classical music conservatory in college, because my orchestral conducting professor is a world class harpsichordist and an overall heavyweight champ in the world of Baroque music. So I reunited with him! My man was super gracious and gave us some amazing takes in that session–he straight up SHREDS on that thing.”
“Nausheen” follows Zeshan’s last single, “BROWN POWER,” which arrived with a powerful music video in February. Both tracks will appear on Zeshan’s forthcoming sophomore album, Melismatic–named for the melismas that Zeshan sings during his vocal exercises.
“[I write at my best when I] practice my scales and ragas,” Zeshan says of his approach to songwriting. “Pretty much all the songs on this album–including ‘Nausheen’–are the brainchild of these practice sessions. Those melismas always somehow lead to interesting melodies–hence the name ‘Melismatic’ for this album.”
Asked what songwriter he most admires, Zeshan is quick to praise Bill Withers, who passed away, at 81, on March 30.
“I am still so shaken up by his death,” says Zeshan. “[Bill] was by far the greatest singer-songwriter of all time. No one could write music that was so simple, so catchy, yet so incredibly transcendental and deep. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what color your skin is–if you have a beating heart, Bill Withers’ music will speak to you.”
Zeshan has always been moved by Withers’ simple arrangements and universal themes. He considers the legendary songwriter a musical loadstar.
“[Bill] did everything on his own terms without resorting to ‘theatrics,’” says Zeshan. “He just didn’t need to. You listen to ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’ or ‘Lean on Me’ and there’s no grand intro. No slick production. No bells and whistles. Just honesty, uber-grooviness, and beauty. And then the sheer humanity of his music. It’s no wonder I loved him so much even when I was a kid. The first musical memory that I have is the piano riff in ‘Lean on Me.’ I could relate then, and I still do. When I feel like I’ve musically ‘strayed from the nest’ in any way that’s inauthentic to me, I just put on Bill Withers record and it points me north again.”
Zeshan’s favorite Withers lyrics come from “Use Me,” off his 1972 album Still Bill: “Talkin about you’ usin’ people, it all depends on what you do / It ain’t too bad the way you’re usin’ me cuz I sure I am usin’ you / To do that thang you do.”
“I also love that you can’t box Bill Withers into any one genre,” adds Zeshan. “He’s not just R&B. He’s not just folk. Not just soul. Not just pop. He’s Bill Withers. I have always looked up to him in that way too!”
Of course, the same could be said of Zeshan: He’s not just R&B. He’s not just folk. Not just soul. Not just pop. Like Withers, Zeshan seems to relish moving between these and other genres. He also seems to relish using his music to bring people together.
Zeshan tells American Songwriter that he hopes–in no particular order–to “write and record a reggaeton song with all acoustic instruments, play a show on the India-Pakistan border, play a show at a Pakistani prison, tour all of Mexico and all of South America, [and] sing at Bernie Sanders’ Inauguration.”
While singing at a Sanders Inauguration is no longer on the table, it wouldn’t be Zeshar’s first performance for a President–he’s already serenaded both Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter.
Melismatic is out May 15.
