Hameer Zawawi

An award-winning singer-songwriter from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hameer Zawawi writes and performs Indie Theatrical-Folk songs.

Within 4 years in Kuala Lumpur, Hameer has managed to perform for numerous Malaysian-based festivals including Penang Island Jazz Festival [2013], Urbanscapes [2013, 2014], DiverseCity KL [2015], Mercedes’ Urban Hunting Art & Music Festival [2016], Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival [2016], and was one of the headlining acts for Johor Bahru Arts Festival [2016]. His 2017 collaboration with music director Melina William and Voices In Your Head had also won him the “Best Group Performance – Vocal” award from the 15th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards [2018].

In March 2017, he had gone on tour in Europe and America to promote his debut album “National Fantasy”. The tour consisted of acoustic solo shows in Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig), the UK (London, Brighton, Glasgow) and the US (Los Angeles, Anaheim, New York City) with the highlight of it being his shows at House of Blues (Anaheim), The Viper Room (LA) and Rockwood Music Hall (NYC).

It was right after finishing his “National Fantasy” tour mid-2017, that Hameer was approached by NYC-based Recording Artists Development (RAD) to record his next EP. The 3-song EP “Plug Out The Machines” saw involvement of musicians and engineers from several parts of the world such as Kuala Lumpur, France, Los Angeles, and NYC. In just 4 months, the EP was completed and self-released in NYC followed by a month-long tour at the east coast of the US with shows in Boston (MA), Long Island (NY), Brooklyn (NY), Harlem (NY), Manhattan (NY) as well as radio shows with WEMF Radio (Boston), Radio Free Brooklyn (Brooklyn) and Village Connection Radio (Long Island). By this time, he had also put together a rock band that eventually transformed his live acoustic performances into one that is more rock-inclined. In 2018, the band eventually followed Hameer to his home country Malaysia to continue on the “Plug Out The Machines” tour with shows in Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Johor Bahru (JHR), Kuching (SWK) and George Town (PNG). The Malaysian tour included a radio show with Your MC (KUL) and a live recording session with indie record label Pulse Soundworks (KUL). Hameer then had not long after toured Cambodia to promote his EP and his music video for the song Deaf Ears with shows in Siem Reap (REP), Phnom Penh (PNH) and Kampot (KMT). The music video features traditional Southeast-Asian shadow puppetry which is a prominent shared cultural point of Cambodia and Malaysia.

Aside from touring, during his time in the US Hameer was also invited to perform for the annual indie-festivals For Us Fest [2017], Arts in Bushwick “Community Day” [2017] and Porch Stomp [2018]. that was held at Knockdown Center (Queens), House of Yes (Brooklyn) and Governor’s Island (NY) respectively. He would occasionally be invited to also perform for “backyard/living room” shows around Manhattan and Brooklyn organized by Artery (www.artery.is, Brooklyn). The band was also invited to record a live session with WEMF Radio (Boston) as well as for the “Office Sessions” with indie-record label Leesta Vall (Brooklyn). The result of the “Office Sessions” were 23 unique 7” vinyl that were a sell out after the band’s final 2017 show at Rockwood Music Hall (NYC).

Outside of the US, Hameer’s latest songs have also been featured on the “Monday Club” segment of Wandsworth Radio (London, UK) and the “La Stud” segment of Cave Carli Radio (Marseille, France). His songs “Plug Out The Machines” and “Heart’s Gold” from the EP has also been used in a French/NYC-produced short film “Birthday Girl” (directed by Raynald Leday, Paris) that is now in the process of getting submitted to film festivals.
He has also been featured in various newspapers, radio shows and TV stations from the US, UK, Germany, France, Cambodia, and Malaysia (check PRESS & MEDIA section for more).

Most recently at the end of 2018, Hameer and his bandmates were invited to perform again at notable venues The Bitter End (NYC) and Pianos (NYC). Not only did they manage to pack out these shows, Hameer was also consequently invited to perform at The American Folk Art Museum (NYC) after that. For that show, he had collaborated with the drummer of You Bred Raptors? (NYC) who had backed him up on the “tabla”. Currently, Hameer and his NYC-based band are busy recording new songs.