Cairo – Shimaa Mekkawy
Syrian singer, Samo Zain
Cairo – Shimaa Mekkawy
In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, Syrian singer Samo Zain talks about his love for singing and how he wants to diversify his career. “I love world of public relations and advertising
...I feel able to break into private business other than singing,” said Zain.
About his recent Berlin ad campaign for a perfume brand, he said: “Actually I did go to Berlin lately to shoot an advertisement for a perfume, as I’m its brand ambassador. Armani will soon launch a new perfume with my name, for which I’ll shoot another advertisement.”
When asked whether he feels embarrassed at photo shoots, he said: “Not at all.. It’s enough that I’m the first Arab singer to have an international perfume named after him.”
About the impending release his new album \"Red Roses\", he said: “I\'ve lived in Egypt for more than 16 years, and I feel like an Egyptian...and it’s not the appropriate time to release my new album for the time being due to the current situation in Egypt. The same stands for Syria, my homeland. Although I’m far removed from the events, I’m still very influenced and sad about what’s happening...is it reasonable to release the album now when everyone is worried, and thinking about other things more important than this or any other album? The artist’s relationship with his audiance should be like a family, we should consider each other’s circumstances and feelings, and I only release albums in the hope that they will be enjoyed.\"
We asked about the creative process behind \"Red Roses\", and Zain said: \"It was very difficult as in the new album I have 11 new songs, with differ completely from what I did before. Also, finishing the main song of the album was very difficult...I chose the song ‘Red Roses’ where I collaborated for the first time with composer Amir Mahrous. It is written by Tamer Hussein.”
Acclaimed music composer Adel Hakki also features in the album.
The signer said he hadn\'t decided which song he would shoot a video for yet, and would only do so after the album released.
\"I\'m leaning towards \'Red Roses\' though,\" he added.
About his duet with a Bulgarian singer, he said “Yes, it’s true... I did a song ‘I Dreamed of You’ with singer Tania Poeva, who is a famous Bulgarian singer. She was the one who asked for the duet and I agreed immediately, and I expect great success for it.”
On the album’s release, he said: “I can’t set a specific date for the release, but when the situations in Egypt, Syria and other Arab countries calm down I’ll take the decision.”
The star also spoke about his future acting roles: “There is new movie, a comedy, and it will be a surprise to all...but it will take some time before it sees the light of day because I prefer being very careful before doing any work so it appears in a way that suits my abilities.”