Rapper Eva B is rehearsing a song on the roof of a building in Karachi’s Lyari district. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP)
Music videos of Eba B.the new star of Pakistani rap, is garnering millions of internet visits, but when she walks the labyrinthine streets of her karachi neighborhood, this girl remains anonymous.
That the body and face are covered by a long black islamic veilshowing only his eyes, has escaped the attention of fans and detractors.
“It’s funny that people don’t recognize me. They play my songs, but when I’m in front of them, they don’t know it’s me,” the 22-year-old rapper told AFP from the roof of a building. overlooking Karachi, a large city. port city in the south of the country.
Inspired by American rappers Eminem and Reyna Latifah |he started writing lyrics in his room before posting his songs on Facebook.
His family did not want him to sing
Fearing that his family would get angry, he sneaked into the studios to record, pretending he was going to school. But when one of his brothers found out, his family did not like it. They believe that the genre is inappropriate for a young woman and that she will find it difficult to marry, in a country that remains deeply conservative.
“Later they realized that I was so stubborn, so they gave up. They realized they couldn’t stop me,” she laughs, explaining that her mother is now on her side in the studio or at concerts to support her. .
His rise to fame accelerated this year thanks to his collaboration with Coke Studio, named after a music show produced by Coca-Cola, one of the most popular on Pakistani television.
Eva B has garnered millions of views on the internet, but walking the labyrinthine streets of her karachi neighborhood, she is not known. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP)
In the video of his successful theme Kana Yaari“, a story of infidelity in love, appears in an orange hijab that almost covers her face. The song has reached nearly 17 million of views on YouTube.
But, unlike other artists who have gone through Coke Studio, he is trying to escape his fame. “It’s weird to live two lives. People know me, but at the same time he didn’t really know me“, He says.
Occasionally, people recognize him through his eyes, but he always denies that he is the actor.
“I’m fine the way I am. I can’t take care of everyone,” he says. Although in Pakistan, a conservative Islamic republic, most women wear veils in one form or another, few performers dare to wear hijab on stage.
When it started, music producers and directors were “stunned”. “But everything quickly went back to normal,” he said. The veil has always been part of his identity as a Muslimbut he also defined himself as a rapper.
“Now I wear more elegant clothes for music videos, so people notice me. But I still have a hijab,” the artist explains.
Now she admits she is tired of talks about her dress. “The media is more focused on my hijab than me (…) It’s more mediatic,” he said.
A street in the Lyari district, where local rapper Eva B grew up, was once considered one of the most dangerous places in Pakistan. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP)
At the same time, she is happy to receive Instagram messages from girls who are happy to see a singer wearing a hijab. “I enjoy serving as a source of inspiration (…), which they make me proud of,” he admits.
Eva B grew up in Lyari, a karachi neighborhood whose population is predominantly Baluchi, known for poverty and gang violence.
But improved security in recent years has unleashed creativity and spawned a hip hop scene.
The rapper did not hesitate to speak about the plight of Pakistani women. In “Bayani Rog”, a track in the Baluchi language, she recounts how she went from being a shy and shy teenager to being the confident and outspoken woman she is today. “I’ve discovered that being quiet doesn’t work, so it’s better to speak up.”
AFP
Source: Clarin
