ROOTING FOR MEIRA OMAR

Afghan-origin Swedish singer Meira Omar whose track blends Swedish pop with the cinematic pulse of Bollywood was in the city recently. She took to the stage with her hit songs and Delhi had a blast.

- S KEERTHIVAS

SWEDISH popstar Meira Omar lit up the stage at the Sweden Day reception in the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi recently, delivering a performance that was as much about cultural connection as it was about music.

Performing her hit song ‘Hush Hush’ before an estimated audience of 1,500 dignitaries and their families, she blended Swedish pop with Bollywood melodies and Afghan rhythms, a reflection of her multicultural heritage. “My performance was about bridging gaps between India and Sweden, celebrating cultural connections, and showing my true self,” she says.

Omar’s journey to the international stage began earlier this year in Sweden’s biggest annual music competition, Melodifestivalen, where she performed ‘Hush Hush’. The fusion track topped #1 on Spotify’s Top 50 Sweden and #6 on national radio charts, becoming a viral hit that opened doors she hadn’t even imagined. “It changed my life,” she recalls. “And it was always my dream to perform at Melodifestivalen. Given my mixed background, a Swedish song with influences from India and Afghanistan felt natural,” she says. For Omar, Delhi was a chance to connect with a new audience.

A quest for identity