AN INTERVIEW WITH MOHAMMED K. PAIKA, DIRECTOR, WRITER & PRODUCER OF “PURPOSE OF LIFE”

Nominee – Édition Juillet 2021

. Best Music Video

. Best Song

Hello Mohammed Paika, tell us a little of your passion for music: when did you realize you wanted to be a performing musician, what was your tuition, etc?

J’ai commencé mon parcours musical assez jeune. J’ai la chance d’être issu d’une famille de musiciens. I started my musical journey quite young. I am lucky to have come from a musical family. My uncle was a stage singer and performer, and my brothers also have a keen interest in singing and performing. Hearing music around my house and family and being exposed to the joy of music from an early age made it easy and natural to love and learn music and singing.

At home, my brothers and I had an incredible collection of songs. When I was 12 or 13 years old, I was fascinated with singing. I learned about other singers and styles of singing and incorporated them into my style.

When I was in undergrad, I learned classical Islamic qur’anic chanting, which helped diversify my singing style and develop my voice.

Though music had been a passion since I was young, I realized I wanted to pursue it when I saw a lack of spiritual based songs in the current music scene. I wanted to address issues which no one would sing about, but which resonate in every heart.

How has the current global crisis impacted your creativity?

The full implications of the Covid-19 pandemic are yet to be determined, but it has disrupted nearly every aspect of society at a breadth and scale not seen in modern history.

Movie production was hit hard by Covid. Due to the increased cost of on-set safety precautions, it has been difficult for independent filmmakers to take a huge risk. As theaters and movie sets were shut down for months causing financial distress, filmmakers moved content on-line to keep audiences engaged and the industry alive. Creativity has been tunneled keeping restrictions in mind, but the human mind can find its way.

We have had the pleasure, through our Festival, to meet other “Scientist-Musicians.” What do you think makes those two realms compatible?

Scientists thrive on innovation. Being a scientist can complement an individual to reach their greatest heights of creativity. A scientist is someone who gathers and uses research and evidence to gain and share understanding and knowledge which tends to fit well into being a curious and systematic musician.

How did you come to directing your own videos? How do you look at the relation between music and moving images?

Having a vision while creating a song has led me to directing my own videos. When I compose my own song, I am already familiarized with the lingo, equipment, strategies and better prepared when the time comes to turn a concept into a video.

Music and sound are mediums used to enhance drama and to help illustrate the emotional content in any story. When used in films and music videos, it enhances the connection that the viewer gets with what is being shown on screen. Sound in general functions to stimulate reality, creating an illusion and setting the mood.

Is the Musician a messenger? If so, what is the message? And in this context, what is your take on “the Music Industry” at large?

Yes, I do believe a musician in a way is a messenger who provides a message to an audience. The message differs based on who the messenger is.

The music industry at large consists of individuals and organizations who write songs, compose and create music, subsequently sell recorded music and present their music in concerts etc. Since the focus of the industry is monetary, the message is sometimes curtailed to monetary advances which can sometimes hinder creativity. Eventually, creativity will find its own way.

What do you think it will take for Humanity to take the steps towards peace, tolerance of one another’s differences, preservation of the Planet and all related topics? How does our current situation make you feel?

If you ask anyone where tolerance fits in, they will think of the principle of “humanity” or promoting compassion, charity, friendship and mutual understanding and peace. You can’t have peace if there is no tolerance. The principle of unity means that we are open to all, that we embrace all the differences and are tolerant of them. Universality is to promote mutual understanding, friendship and tolerance as well.

In reality, If you don’t consider others to be equal, there is not real tolerance. Human beings have begun to evolve into creatures who understand and tolerate one another. We have a long way to go.

What about Live Music? Do you like performing live, have you been able to organize jam sessions in the course of the past few months, if not actual concerts with actual audiences? Have you considered broadcasting Live performances via the internet?

Yes, I love to perform live whenever and wherever I can. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, I have not been able to comfortably organize jam sessions or concerts as of yet. That being said, I have interacted with my team and audience through online broadcast services, mainly via zoom meetings. I have definitely considered broadcasting Live shows via the internet.

Short statement describing your vision of the post-covid cinema, do you think there will be notable changes?

Post-covid cinema has seen a lot of changes. Movie production was hit hard by Covid. Movies ventured towards a streaming medium as theaters and movie sets were shut down for months causing financial distress on the system.

Going forward, what movies look like and how they are consumed could be very different. Due to the increased cost of on-set safety precautions it has been difficult for independent filmmakers to take a risk. Animated movies for families may see in increase as they are easier to produce virtually with animators working from different locations, reducing the need for safety measures.

ITV 2023