Show Notes
Rosie Samra and Hiba Farooki join Bob Jonkman to talk about singing, songwriting, university, jazz, social media, and photography.
The interview starts at 3m51s.
Rosie Samra:
- Instagram: @rosiesamramusic | Instagram
- Twitter: @rosiesamra_ | Twitter
- Facebook: Rosie Samra | Facebook
- YouTube: Rosie Samra | YouTube
- TikTok: Rosie Samra | (@rosiesamra) | TikTok
- SoundCloud: Rosie Samra | SoundCloud
- Spotify: Rosie Samra | Spotify
- E-mail: rosiesamra4008@gmail.com
Hiba Farooki:
- Instagram: @instantscrush | Instagram
Upcoming Events
-
The Jazz Room: The Caleb Khuu Quartet
- When: 8:00pm-10:30pm on Friday, 21 April 2023
- Where: The Jazz Room
- Location: 59 King St. North, Waterloo Map
- Website: https://www.kwjazzroom.com/event/caleb-khuu-quartet/
Podcast
Download: ckms-community-connections-2023-02-24-episode115.mp3 (55.1 MB, 57m21s, episode 115)
Index
Exclusive tracks recorded in the CKMS-FM 102.7 Radio Waterloo Studio are available soon!
| Time | Title | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0m00s | Theme for CKMS Community Connections ccc |  CKMS Community Connections |
Steve Todd |
| 0m47s | On My Own |  Live, On-Air, In-Studio |
Rosie Samra |
| 3m51s | Introducing Rosie Samra, a Kitchener native! Recording her songs at various studios, currently with Mike DeFaria of Blacktail Recordings in Mississauga. Rosie has been singing since she was really little. Talking about breathing technique, but that’s not something Rosie considers when writing songs. Music or lyrics first? It depends. Rosie has been writing music since 2019. Sunday Afternoon was the first “real” song. Music is easier than lyrics, but Rosie hasn’t considered collaborating on songwriting yet. The Canadian system of rights and royalties are too complex, something we run into at the radio station. Talking about the source of the lyrics, not always taken from real life. Changing the song for the studio, the studio version is a bit more amped up. | 13m40s | Missed Connection | Live, On-Air, In-Studio |
Rosie Samra |
| 17m18s | Discussing the differences between the acoustic version and the studio version. How Rosie adds the lyrics to the music. Admiring Rosie’s vocal technique. Rosie doesn’t play an instrument, which is why Hiba is here today. Rosie doesn’t write out the notes; her phone is her notesheet. Hiba hasn’t been involved in Rosie’s music production, but will be doing something in the future. Recounting how the Rosie and Hiba duo came to be. Rosie is working on a few project, but can’t talk about that yet. Talking about the upcoming concert at The Jazz Room with Caleb Khuu. This is more “Jazz” than Rosie is used to, she’s “more Pop.” Rosie does a lot of live performing. Talking about the sources of income: More from live performances than from streaming. She’s performed at restaurants, pubs, but also at art gallery openings and festivals, here in KW and the GTA as well. | ||
| 24m10s | Rosie got her start at the beginning of the pandemic, but things are looking better now. She’s a full-time student, so the pandemic was a chance to concentrate on studies. But it’s been rainbows and sunshine since. Rosie tells us how she got her first gig, and more recent gigs. Rosie handles booking and management herself, but selling the art, promoting the art is more work than the art itself. Rosie is handling a full course load at University, honours science (mostly biology) with a double minor in medical physiology and Islamic studies. Rosie says that optimistically, she’s a musician with a science fallback. She’s a bit intimidated by people with a formal education in music. Introducing Sunday Afternoon, the first song Rosie recorded and released. | ||
| 31m32s | Sunday Afternoon | Live, On-Air, In-Studio |
Rosie Samra |
| 34m18s | Talking about Sunday Afternoon. Rosie would like to be known as a jazz singer, but considers herself a pop singer. Jazz musicians are very intense, specific about instrumentals and scatting and scales, not something she can relate to. Does Rosie cover other people’s music? Yes, that’s how she got started in music. None of the music at The Jazz Room is Rosie’s music, she’ll be singing Caleb Khuu’s music. Rosie says that people at The Jazz Room don’t want to hear the standards of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong performed by others, you’re expected to bring something new. It’s more for a new, modern spin on jazz, which they’ll be performing on 21 April. | ||
| 38m51s | Rosie, Caleb and the band have spent a lot of time vetting the songs to be played. They’re not considered standards, but not unknown either. Only Georgia On My Mind could be considered a standard. They’re practicing a lot, three hours most Sundays. Rosie isn’t used to singing jazz, not used to the solos that each performer takes. She’s been told she makes jazz “approachable”. At other gigs where Rosie singer her original music is received well. Crazy is her favourite and always received well. When people are really listening to the music it makes Rosie feel like the most special person on Earth. When Rosie is busking downtown the most popular song is Tennessee Whisky. | ||
| 44m08s | Crazy | Live, On-Air, In-Studio |
Rosie Samra |
| 47m12s | Does social media influence what Rosie writes? Yes, it influences how she lives her life! But social media can be so destructive, because you only see people at their best. It changed Rosie’s self-perception when she started on social media at age 13. The beauty standard is so ingrained on social media. Rosie’s presence as a professional musician and entertainer is mostly on Instagram, and she’s not really on Twitter at all. | ||
| 50m47s | Rosie’s “glam shots” on Instagram are by her photographer friend Angad Singh; he gets to hear all the music before it comes out. He listens to the song, then he and Rosie comes up with a mood for it, then he sets up the photo shoot. Angad supplies the props. Angad is a full time student at University as well, yet still manages to find time for photography. | ||
| 53m08s | Rosie gives her social media and contact information, and Hiba gives info about the University of Waterloo club, the Animusic Ensemble, playing music from anime and video games, and which has a concert on Sunday 2 April 2023 in building M3. Hiba plays a happier version of On My Own while Bob gives the end credits. | ||
CKMS Community Connections Hour One airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 on Monday from 11:00am to Noon, and Hour Two airs alternate Fridays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.
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Bonus Video
YouTube: CKMS Community Connections for Friday 24 February 2023
Photo Gallery
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