A small town boy from Delaware, Jeffrey Iqbal won the hearts of many fans while performing for Zee TV’s 
popular Sa-re-ga-ma-pa contest (2008). I had a chance to hang out with him in DC and probed him with questions about himself and his plans for his future music career…..
Tell us a bit about your background:
My family is originally from Pakistan and migrated here in the 60’s. I was born and brought up in Delaware along with an older brother (Michael) and sister (Jennifer).
Michael, Jennifer, & Jeffrey Iqbal…what’s up with the ‘east meets west’ names?
My father did not want us to face any hardships with a difficult first name after migrating from Pakistan, so he decided to give us the typical “American” names.
What sparked your interest in music?
I grew up listening to my older brother and sister sing and play various classical instruments. My mom loved music and wished she could perform, but being from a very conservative background, she was unable to pursue her dream. My first encounter was with a keyboard my mother bought me from a toy store when I was eight years old. I was not ecstatic about a new keyboard, but after a while I started to make my own tunes, picking up classic tunes such as “mere angane me tumara kya kyal hai” One day, my father was listening to me create music outside of my room, and was impressed, so he encouraged me to pursue music further.
Turning point for your music career?
AR Rahman’s Talent Hunt (2007). I submitted a sample of my vocals to the ad, without telling anyone, and got selected among 20 other people to go to NYC and sing in front of AR Rahman. I arrived a the try-outs right after a job interview—suit, tie and harmonium in hand. I gave it my best shot and sang a classical qawali. After my turn, I sat in the auditorium seats, playing with my cell phone and comparing myself to everyone else, not expecting anything at all to come of this. AR Rahman started to call the ‘chosen ones.’ I was the second name he called. I was one of the two contestants to perform for AR Rahman’s Third Dimensional tour in NYC. Performing infront of 17,000 people gave me this rush of energy, and I thought to myself, “One day, Inshallah, all of these people will be here to see me.”
How was your experience on Sa-re-ga-ma-pa?
Completely amazing. Worth every second of it. I was like a sponge-bob (Jeffrey laughs)-absorbing every piece of advice I could get. I was overwhelmed by being amongst such great talent. It was a great platform for me to showcase my talent…I was able to perform in front of Shankar Mahadevan, Himesh Reshammiya, Pritam and Aadesh Shirvastava. It was the pivoting moment for me to say that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Your mentors include:
Ustad Hamid Hossain, Shafiqur Rehman, Pundit Ajay Ajha
Your future plans:
To create more music that the world will enjoy
Being South Asian to you means:
Eating spicy food…(jokingly responds). Fusing two cultures and taking the best of both, respecting my elders, being aware and appreciative of what my family has accomplished today, and hopefully passing the traditions and values down to my future children
Three words to describe yourself.
Analytical, creative and open-minded.
Speaking with Jeffrey was completely refreshing. He is a cool cat with a laid-back personality—no signs of arrogance what so ever. If you hear his music, it’s a fusion of east and west, with a classical element to it. It’s difficult for me to lump him into any category of music. He essentially is his own unique genre. Check out his music at http://www.alexallc.net/artists-our-artists/jeffrey-iqbal.html. It’s soothing, it’s sweet,it’s completely ‘feel-good’ music.
– Pooja Bhagia, Guest Columnist for NEEM Magazine
