Have you heard Dubai-based singer Layla Kardan's music?

The dubai-based singer and songwriter on building a promising musical career based on what she believes in

For the 45,000 accounts that follow her, Layla Kardan's Instagram page has been a visual treat. From pictures of her performances to her fashion choices to some candid moments, the Dubai-based singer-songwriter sometimes puts up small captions with her pictures that leaves her followers with much to ponder over. A few days ago, she posted a picture, flaunting a flabby back. "I have meat on my bones and I am proud to show it," she wrote. The photograph became a talking point among the fashion influencers on the impossible standards of beauty that are often imposed on women. Layla's message was loud and clear - she wouldn't be bullied into presenting an image that wasn't 'her'. "I am proud of my imperfections, hence I posted this," Layla tells us. "I could have edited it or chosen not to post it, but it was important for me to make an example of myself. I am healthy and I work out. I am proud of my body, I strive to be better always, but this was an unflattering position, and I don't care because I am imperfectly perfect."

Imperfectly perfect is also how Layla describes her new album, Saved, whose artwork celebrates Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold powder. "The gold-filled cracks make them more beautiful and valuable. This is how we should view each other - celebrating the imperfections rather than manufactured cookie-cutter beauty queens," she says.
So, who is Layla Kardan? Well, to put it simply, she is a Dubai-based singer and songwriter, who has been creating quite a stir with her music that is often lauded for its emotional appeal and core message. Take, for instance, these lyrics from her new song Goddess, that celebrates womanhood: "She ebbs and flows/Knows exactly where to go/Can make it through it all/She's her own, never silent/Lays it all out breaks the quiet/Held down now she grows tall".
Defiance not only informs her music, it also informs the person that is Layla Kardan. It took root at a very young age when she realised that music had to be an integral part of her life. That moment came in the form of the film, The Jungle Book (1967), whose music left her mesmerised. She wouldn't just listen to its soundtrack, but pay attention to every instrument, every sound. The love deepened, but Layla was never really encouraged to pursue it any further. "People are a lot more open-minded now," she tells us. "My father always held this view that if you're a singer, you'd be considered as being someone who is either uneducated or belongs to a lower class. I was made to feel that. But growing up, some of my favourite artistes had been changemakers. I was fascinated by them and realised I just couldn't give up on music."
It wasn't until she returned to Dubai for her third stint in 2008 (her family had moved here in the late 80s, and she had mostly been brought up in Australia) that Layla decided to turn her passion into her profession. That, however, meant giving up on the promise of a monthly remuneration that an association with her family business assured her. Plunging into music at that time also felt like a deep-dive into unpredictability. "I had decided what I wanted to do, so I was only preparing myself financially for it. It helped me save the money I needed to live freely and work on creating my music. Of course, there was no guarantee that I was going to succeed or make money." But the thought of continuing to work and feeling unfulfilled was a more frightening prospect. Music, it was!
The local music scene in the UAE is still flourishing and while Layla sees the silver lining ("the competition is less as compared to, say, London"), she does admit that sometimes, it's hard to be heard. "It still is in its formative years. To compete with international talent is difficult due to the lack of funding to take things to the next level. So, that's why it's hard to break free and be heard. Having said that, there are new opportunities that are coming up."
As a female musician, navigating the industry can be tough. How do audiences react to her? "Mostly, it is good, but sometimes, the etiquette is lacking, and that's irrespective of gender. Either people are talking loudly or speaking over them. In the West, they don't do that because they understand the importance of cultivating talent. But, given the way I carry myself - I am neither meek nor mild - I have been able to manage those encounters in a way that's not detrimental to my mental well-being." She goes on to add that she is a feminist who strives for equality. "Gender equality is important and feminism, to me, is about empowering oneself, and not finding crutches in society. It is not about objectifying, it is about coming into your true power. People ask me, 'If you're a feminist, why do you wear makeup?' I tell them it is an expression of who I am. I don't wear it for a man. I should have the choice to express myself the way I want, shouldn't I?"
Ask her if she's consciously trying to send a message through her music and Layla says she is not here to write songs to shake the world. But the very fact that it resonates says something about a connect that she has established with her audience. Hear her sing, and you may just find yourself captivated by the passion her voice exudes. It stops being a performance and becomes experiential.
As an independent artist, does she wish for a label to back her? "Labels can be very beneficial to an artist. It can give you exposure, reach and marketing support. It's a machine with great power... I would love to have a label back me if I had complete creative reign, instead of someone asking me: are you going to put on these clothes instead of those? You can't shove in messages that disempower young girls." That is not to say that she is against packaging. If anything, the 36-year-old singer and songwriter thinks it "solidifies" one as an artist. "As an independent artist, I have so many things to manage, create content, etc. But yes, if you don't stay on top of how you package yourself, you lose listeners."
In recent years, Layla is known as much for her fashion choices as for her music. Which means, often, what she wears gets noticed and dissected. "Fashion is important to me as a means of expression. Because I love creating, I also like styling, and it's important how you present yourself to the world. I also wear a lot of Middle Eastern designers because I think, as artists, it's important for us to support each other."
Today, with every step she takes closer to success, does her family's perception of her choice of career change? "My mother and my sisters are approving and very encouraging. My father is still not very supportive, but that could be because he doesn't understand the industry. He thinks I probably will not be able to support myself or find a husband." If her journey so far is any indicator, she is here not simply to survive, but thrive!
anamika @khaleejtimes.com