Land of Growth: Sri Lanka

By Shereen Shabnam

My first visit to Sri Lanka was when I was working as the Head of PR for Air Arabia, and we decided to take a family trip to get to know the latest destination for the airline that became part of my life when I lived in Sharjah.

Thanks to the extensive research I did for the destination before the maiden flight, we came prepared to enjoy the tropical climate, endless beaches, famous tea, trendy fashion boutiques, best seafood and fresh flavorful dishes that makes Sri Lanka irresistible.

We had a week to discover Sri Lanka’s myriad of charms through its history, culture and natural beauty that are undeniably alluring. It is a country that has beautiful beaches, high mountains, tropical forests and lots of wild animals like elephants, leopards, sea turtles, dolphins and whales.

To keep my daughter entertained, we stayed on a beach resort at the Mount Lavinia Hotel that had amazing staff and the best food one can have in a hotel. The evenings were memorable as we dined under the stars each night on the beach, sand between our toes as we selected our fresh sea food from the day’s catch and the chef cooked our meal according to our preference. the hotel had live performances in the weekend as well.

The beaches in Colombo have sports activities like flying kites, diving, snorkelling, hiking, sailing and much more.  The best thing to do in Sri Lanka is to escape the tropical climate of the coast and head for the hills to explore the tea plantations and rainforests. But the capital city of Colombo is just as intriguing as it combines the incredible culture and history of the island with modern attractions and amenities.

The city’s unique colonial history (Portuguese, Dutch, and British) is evident in the buildings, the food and the museums that illustrate the country’s rich history. Our host took us to a Portuguese fort, which guarded the harbor area and we went past the Galle Face Green, a large oceanfront park.

The National Museum of Colombo is also a must visit as it takes you on a journey over the thousands of years of Sri Lankan culture through artifacts such as jewellery, clothes, coins, arms, and craftwork. The displays showcase both the cultural and natural heritage of the country. Nearby is the Viharamahadevi Park which is home to a large, 15-foot-tall Buddha statue. There are also other museums and temples worth a visit.

Animal lovers will be thrilled at the Colombo Zoo which hosts almost 3,000 different animals of all shapes and sizes and has daily demonstrations with keepers of various animals. There is one for the zoo’s friendly sea lion, one in front of the elephant enclosure, a bird presentation, and one on snakes.

If you are a culture enthusiast, head to Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, a modern performing arts complex that has music, dance, and cultural performances and modern pop concerts. Performances are held in the main auditorium or in the open-air amphitheater.

Pettah Floating Market is the best for retail therapy. It has so many vendors selling their wares along a canal, lined with sidewalks and wooden boardwalks. It is a fun area for shopping, strolling, and people watching with great street food, clothes, handicrafts and lovely costume jewellery.

Sri Lanka is spectacular, affordable and still untouched by large crowds of tourists. Now is the best time to discover this incredible land.

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“An Unplanned Journey becomes a Destiny” Dubai Based Businessman Turned Singer Zakeer Hussain (Zak Zorro), CEO of Icon Art production

UAE is attracting more Hollywood and Bollywood movies as a hotspot for exotic locations shoots and Icon Art Production (IAP), a leading production house is known as a One stop solution for all Feature Films, TV Commercials, TV Programs, Documentaries, Music Videos and Corporate Films, Event Productions and Multimedia services across the UAE, Middle East & India.

Shereen Shabnam meets with founder Zakeer Hussain, a Businessman who is creating a sensation in the music world with his recent albums.

Zakeer who is also known as Zak Zorro in the Film & Music world, started his career working behind the scenes with his team at Icon Art Production and their expertise included being able to Line Produce 1000’s of Productions for local and International productions. And also expertise in write, produce, direct and accomplish postproduction of small medium and large productions.

Under his leadership, Icon Art Production offers all aspects of Line production, including Script approval, Shooting permits, Locations services, Cameras, Lights and Grips, Transport, Local & International Cast & Crew, Production and Postproduction services, a wide range of industry services for a variety of local, regional, and International clients in Film, Television, Advertising, Sports, Marketing, and Multimedia.

In-house state-of-the-art Equipment large inventory with Full-fledged Studio and working knowledge of the various Local and International Films, TV Programs, TV Commercials and the Events industry positions IAP amongst the top 10 Production houses in Dubai.  As the Founder of Icon Art Production, Zakeer has seen the completion of over 3000+ productions including Films, TV Programs, TV Commercials, Music Videos, Documentaries, Corporate Films, and Events since the company’s inception.

With a strong faith in the potential of Dubai being a hub for the Entertainment world, Zakeer invested in a facility that can be customized and branded for Magazine Shoots, Product launches and Pop-up Events etc.

According to Zakeer, his success in the Production world is due to his team who understand the niche requirements of the industry, based on which they design a feasible budget for any type of project to assist, Directors and Producers. This has enabled IAP to be Industry leaders in supporting International filmmakers coming to Dubai from Bollywood and the regional film industries.

As a musician and his persona as Zak Zorro, Zakeer’s vision is to produce global music, He loves all kinds of music and was blessed to listen to different eras of music and genres. His music Passionstarted 15 years ago, and he has been working with various artist and genres of music which inspired him to discover the love for different styles of music and the First Indian to do Afro Music and sing pigeon English with some Afro slangs.

As a Versatile Artist who has sung in over 25+ different music genres, Zakeer is known for his versatile vocal abilities bringing his unique fusion of songs to music lovers around the world in different genres, Pop, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Country, RNB, Hip Hop, Rap, Bhangra, Folk, Afro, Reggae, Dance Hall, Latin, Flemenco, Arabic, EDM, Synwave/ Synth Pop, Sufi, Qawwali, Ghazal, Meditation, Chill Out, Fusion, Techno and Disco etc. His passion to sing in multiple genres has led him to sing in seven languages following the important elements and protocols of the respective genres in its pure form.

Music to Zakeer is like a meditation and whenever he works on a new genre or language, it’s a completely new experience from zero, as if it is his First Song production so we put our heart and soul in it. He has a great team who understands his vision and works in his direction, and they accomplish every time unique songs and produce a great album.

“MUSIC IS AN EXPLOSIVE EXPRESSION OF LOVE AND PASSION, AND WE ARE ALL TOUCHED BY IT, NO MATTER WHAT CULTURE, RACE OR COUNTRY WE COME FROM” – ZAK ZORRO

Music is now part of his life and is part of his daily routine while creating music, studying, experimenting, and working with different styles of music, languages, musicians and composer etc.

Speaking of his musical journey, Zak Zorro said, “My passion for music began from childhood and I started singing four years ago with Urdu and Hindi poetry which then evolved into songs. I dedicated lot of time for voice training in Hindustani Music and Western music by 7 different vocal trainers. After over 5000+ hours of vocal training, I worked with several different music composers producing different genres of music and found a unique style that worked for me. Every song has a unique story and mood in the lyrics.”

Zak Zorro also established Audio studio for himself and other upcoming artist providing a platform to individuals who needs guideline in their passion in music industry with professional equipment for sound, audio and video production.

ZAK ZORRO MUSIC ALBUMS

  • As a Singer and Music Producer, Zak has recorded over 70+ Original Songs in last 4 years. 
  • Produced Music in over 25+ Styles of Genres and Sang in 7 Languages.
  • Zak sees himself as a global Artist not bound by any single genre or style, he has always been influenced by world music and his vision is to record in as many different styles as possible and bridge cultures through music.

Zak Zorro “SOUL”

Music Album with 7 Soulful Songs with beautiful compositions and lyrics will take you in an emotional journey. It was an emotional transition of my life which was translated into Songs and was the beginning of my musical journey.

Eternal Love:

Zak Zorro “Eternal Love” Music Album with 11 diverse love songs with mesmerizing poetry.

This Album is a perception of true love which we seek in our life partner and also some lose them in between the journey, and seek compassion or start over to love again.

Afrolina :

Zak Zorro being the first Indian Producer and Singer to produce an Afro Music album with 11 musical tracks, He said my love for world music and fascinated with Afrobeat inspired me to produce Afrolina Music Album in collaboration with Sammyoung an African music producer.  This Album to make anybody dance, smile and have fun with every beat.

Baby Dil Dena :

Zak Zorro released his latest 4th Music Album ‘Baby Dil Dena on July25 2021. An album with 11 diverse Musical tracks with flavor of Jazz, Flamenco, Pop, Hip Hop, RNB, Rap, Afro, Spanish, Punjabi, Latin and Arabic Influenced. Every song has a musical journey of daily life relationship dramas which are fun sometimes and painful sometimes.

ZAK ZORRO MUSIC VIDEOS SONGS:

Zak Zorro has released 4 Music Videos which have crossed over 20 Million+ Views. 

Teri Yaad Mey

Soulful Pop Music with beautiful lyrics which will take you in a memory lane of your first love, irrespective you are with that person or not. It tickles your heart and makes you smile. The song is about also about endless love or memories, sometimes we separate but still love the person and those beautiful memories are always haunting us. Also inspiring social message about Karma which is a Boomerang.

Taqdeeron ke Khilonay

The Debut Rock Music Video which was released on 1st April 2020 followed by six songs from Zak Zorro Fusion album. Rock Song is “Taqdeeron ke Khilonay”, which portrays reality of life that we are “toys of destiny” and how we influence each other in this life with some happy and painful experience which were portrayed in the Music video in a symbolic way.

Jeeta Raha

“Jeeta Raha” is a Song tribute to all fathers, Directed by Sajjad Delafrooz renowned antagonist of Bollywood Film Tiger Zinda hai & Special Ops Web series with Neeraj Pandey. A Song dedicated to “All the Fathers for their unconditional Love and Sacrifices they make for their children happiness” the video portrays the loneliness of father and his weakness not able to communicate with his son. A Social Message, not to leave your parents alone in their old age.

Ye Faasla

“Ye Faasla” is a Pop Contemporary Emotional Song as the Vocals and Synth Shines throughout the Track. It’s an emotional journey of 2 lost souls in their own world. This Song portrays people living together yet not connected and living in their own world which do not exist.

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