A rose from Cape Town that blossomed in the sands of Dubai, pianist Malika Omar, has returned home with a deep desire to impart her knowledge to budding musicians, and inspiring a new generation of pianists.
At a young age, Omar displayed an affinity for music as a result of being raised in a family that enjoyed a variety of musical genres. Omar says: “I began playing the piano at the age of nine and, while it was the music of Richard Clayderman, of which my father was a huge fan, which inspired me, my family’s love for music proved to be the soundtrack to my life.
“I attended Rustenburg Junior and High School for Girls, and my music exams were set and graded by examiners from abroad, including the Trinity College of Music.”
At 17, she moved to Joburg and enrolled with the Shine Music School, completing her studies and receiving her certification from ABRSM, which is the UK’s largest music education body, associated with the Royal Schools of Music.
“The depth of my studies and the maturing process I discovered through music led to my commitment to living my best life, in fact, my musical journey has become a metaphor for my life.
“I’ve been guided through this process by various people, including, initially, Dharam Suraj, the national division and production director of Universal Music South Africa, and Iqbal Omarjee of Global Music in Johannesburg, a music distributor.
“Both have played important roles in my career, providing direction and motivation. I received much-needed guidance, which helped me develop my own business acumen as I embarked on a journey to release my music albums.”
Her first album, Monsoon Dew, a compilation of Bollywood instrumentals, popular easy listening tracks, and two original compositions based on her own style, was produced by South African Fernando Perdigao, who has worked on the Grammy-nominated soundtracks Mandela and De Klerk and Father of Our Nation.
Shortly afterwards, her family moved to Dubai and the young pianist joined them. The decision to relocate was positive for all, including Omar, as her musical career took flight and her work was well received in all quarters.
Omar explains: “My music was making people happy and that was a wonderful feeling, especially as a South African carving a musical niche abroad. While Monsoon Dew was initially released in South Africa in 2007, a year later after moving to Dubai I released it in the UAE as well.
“My next album, Sand Star, consisted of only original material. It was written and produced by the award-winning Dutch/American duo Joshua F Williams and Reiner Erlings in the UAE.
“Williams has worked with many international artists including Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, while Erlings has composed music for various television and film projects. It is an honour to have had my album produced by people of this calibre. Sand Star features various eastern instruments and is inspired by World music. It was a great collaboration and I’m really happy that album was released to critical acclaim.”
The classically trained but free-spirited Omar - a trait that can be felt through her appealing music compositions - has been nominated five times for various music awards. Omar has featured in Arabic Fusion, a documentary which screened in official competition at the Gulf Film Festival as well as at festivals in Berlin, London, Auckland, Miami and Hawaii. She has also successfully merged her love for music with that of fashion.
“I was approached by designers to wear their outfits at my performances. I only wear what makes me comfortable and this collaboration opened more doors for me. I secured major events at which to perform, including Dubai Fashion Week and for the queen of fashion, Caroline Herrera. Some of my favourite events include performances for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum (the Ruler of Dubai), Princess Ameerah al Taweel and Bill Gates.
“I’ve been blessed to represent a number of international fashion and beauty brands including Marks and Spencer, Jergens Cream, Balmain and Anne Klein Watches.
“One of my greatest achievements was to have been approached by Maserati to be a part of a major brand campaign,” she said.
While Omar is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the music scene, as can be attested to by her being wooed by the rich and famous for her talent, she is equally at home - and, possibly, even more keen - to use her music to create awareness for charitable causes.
Omar continues: “I’ve been in Dubai for more than 10 years and collaborated with countless individuals, companies and organisations. But the greatest joy is to know that I’ve made a positive difference in the life of someone else, realising that my music has touched them. One project that has made an impact on me is the work I’ve done with the UN Refugee Agency.”
Not only has she been tickling the ivories entertaining audiences across the Middle East, but she’s equally at home using her vocal talents as well. Her voice can be heard on the song New Hope which she wrote and composed. Proceeds from the song go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Omar said: “I am passionate about what I do and, whilst in Dubai, I started teaching music. Now that I’m back in Cape Town I want to continue moulding students into confident performers. My current focus is on the development of a school for pianists in South Africa. I’ve opened a studio in Claremont, called Malika Maestro Musica.”
Here she is using more than a decade’s experience to develop students beyond music with a firm approach on teaching from a positive perspective.
Dubai’s loss is Cape Town’s gain and those keen on learning to play the piano and gain a universal insight into music will
certainly benefit from Omar’s global outlook.
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