Meet Suroor Hassan

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Suroor Hassan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Suroor, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

This is a question I get asked pretty often as someone who’s only been performing for a year. It’s definitely something that comes from a lot of practice! I’m the type of person that feels naturally comfortable on stage, but I still didn’t immediately start off with perfect stage presence. Over the course of doing a bunch of shows I stumbled into a routine and a sort of muscle-memory where I just click into gear when I step on stage. It’s like something in my soul flips a switch and I lock in to a whole different kind of zone. Part of it is also just that I view my art and my performances as a ritualistic act of transformation and self-creation. As a trans-woman that has recently begun the process of transitioning, I’ve felt like most of my life lately has been about self-actualizing, and my art has definitely felt like a key component of that transformation. Because of that journey, I tend to worry less about how I’m being perceived by the audience—the main thing on my mind is just feeling fully immersed in the sacred moment of transformation that occurs on stage. And even though it may sometimes feel scary or awkward to step in to that moment, I fully trust in my vision for myself and am able to sit with the weight of that moment whenever it arrives. Over time I’ve learned to not fight the intensity and instead just let it wash over me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m an experimental popstar from Pakistan that’s currently based in Memphis. I make hard-hitting, exciting, immersive music with an eye towards futuristic and innovative blends of genres and cultures. Through both my music and my live performances I’m always trying to push the envelope of artistic expression. Last year I dropped my debut album “LAVENDER SHOWERS”, and next month on October 18th I’ll be releasing my follow-up single “!TOXIC!”, an experimental rage track that revolves around flipping a classic Bollywood sample 3 different ways in the styles of vaporwave, boom-bap, and rage. I’m working on a lot of other music right now too which will come out next spring/summer in some form, but plans have yet to be completely finalized. I also have a lot of shows coming up: in October I’m playing the illustrious American Babylon Festival in North Carolina, and some more shows in the California Bay Area. Locally in Memphis, I’ll be playing an after-party show for GonerFest, and also playing and organizing a special Halloween Trans Night at the Lamplighter Lounge. In November I’ll also be going on a mini East Coast tour. My instagram is the best way to keep up with all my shows and latest releases, and I’ll have a lot more going on in the Spring as I finish plans to release new music and plan bigger tours to promote what I’ve been working on.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Hmm I think I’d probably go with my self-belief, my passion for art and community, and my artistic curiosity. Those three qualities have both pushed me forward in my career and also helped me cultivate a fulfilling life.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately as life has gotten more and more overwhelming! I take refuge in my community a lot during times like that, often even a small hang with my loved ones can be a big stress reliever and make me feel like a refreshed new girl ready to take on the world. Part of what can overwhelm me is having to constantly be on my computer for both of my careers whether it’s producing music on my laptop or writing and grading papers and lesson plans, so I try to give my eyes a break sometime and do something nature-oriented like go to the park or swim or play soccer. I try to take advantage of the flexibility that I get with most of my work being remote/self-planned by giving myself lots of different environments to work in—a change of environment is always a good way for the brain to reset when life gets overwhelming. Going back to what we talked about earlier with performing, I try to just trust in the vision that I have for myself and remind myself that even though things might feel overwhelming in the moment, life comes in cycles and an upward cycle will always follow. Instead of fighting the anxiety I try to sit with it and let it run its course.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://suroor.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/suroor.901
• Other: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6muGce8lKX6FPc1MXJw4m3