Nadir is a movement and his biggest hope is that his listeners will find their own rhythm and march beside him. Multifaceted musician Nadir says “since (he) can remember, music has been an important part of (his) life.”
And he has used it to inspire people to action with each lyric. To label Nadir as a neo-soul artist would be neglecting his rock roots; to call him a rock artist would be overlooking his hip-hop and jazz influences. Fully encompassing all the talents that Nadir possesses would be comparable to expanding the mathematical term Pi to its last digit.
There is a legend that at the age of 18 months, Nadir was seen in his backyard using a stick as a guitar and singing. And he has been seriously pursuing music ever since.
Penning lyrics as broad as love, and as specific as the love for his wife, Nadir says his music is a “reflection of what’s going on in everyday life.” And because life is better lived in color, out loud and passionately, the intended end result of hearing Nadir’s music is “action, (and) what kind depends on the person.”
As an independent artist, Nadir has enjoyed significant success. He has performed the greater part of the United States as well as in Europe, Canada.
Most people think of promoting music on the Internet as the hip-hop and pop music method of exposure, but Nadir understands the true meaning of promoting on the Web. He says social networking sites like Myspace, YouTube and Facebook have helped him go from “being a local artist to an international artist,” and are a critical part of his career.
Constant promotion coupled with talent has also brought Nadir countless awards and opportunities. He’s won ten Detroit Music Awards, was a correspondent on MTV’s “Choose or Lose,” and won “Best Funk Album of 2005” from soulpatrol.com. And while “awards are cool,” Nadir says the biggest reward is “having people really be touched by what I do.”
Moving from Elizabethton, Tennessee, to Detroit in order to gain more exposure for his type of music, Nadir has always tried to position himself where he can be heard by as many people as possible. Since he writes about the happenings of everyday life, he wants his music to inspire movement, be it to “work harder, think harder, dance, or vote.” If the music he writes moves him, hopefully it will move his listeners as well.
Nadir’s efforts in inspiring people to action have led him to become an official for the City of Detroit. Recently, an Entertainment Commission was formed in an effort to “rebrand the city of Detroit as the entertainment and media capital that it is.”
The Commission had an event called “Laughing the Pain Away,” at which comedians went to local homeless shelters to bring light into the darkest of lives. The easiest way for Detroit to reaffirm its spot in musical history is to “do a better job of taking advantage of all the talent we have.”
If all the artists in the city can unite as a conglomerate, Detroit would be unstoppable. A unification of outstanding and diverse talent will take place Labor Day weekend during the Detroit Jazz Fest, showcasing local and national artists, Sept. 3-6, at 660 Woodward Ave.
Nadir will be performing Monday, Sept. 6, at 2:30 pm, and says the audience should expect a musical experience not to be forgotten. Believing that “as human beings, we’re wired to help other people,” Nadir says “you’re going to hear music that will make you think a little while you dance.” Find the rhythm and then move accordingly.
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