Adele in the making

I owe a lot to Xulfi bhai for teaching me to be a better musician and also for giving me an opportunity I'll always remember and cherish. He's a great mentor and he's a great inspiration.

Maria Fatima Unera Qureshi, the 20-year-old half Filipino-half Pakistani  girl is not new to the industry despite her tender age. She has been pursuing music professionally for four years now and has already worked with big names such as Noori for Fanta and Zulfiqar 'Xulfi' Khan in Nescafé Basement Season 3. Currently, she is working on her originals songs with Walnut Studios and hoping to bring a change and wider perspective towards music and genres our country should explore and achieve the goal to motivate younger people to pursue their dreams and express themselves in any sort of art. It was a mutual friend who her to Xulfi through one of her videos and the kind of strong, beautiful vocal skills that Maria has, no wonder he called her up right then and there. 

1- Where did you learn music from? What challenges did you have to face being a young female vocalist? How has been the support and reactions from everyone around?

Music is in my blood. I've inherited it from my mother and her family. Being a Filipino, you're born with the passion for music and dance. Karaoke is famous in the Philippines so while growing up, I would grab the microphone and just sing out loud. Obviously making a career out of music, especially in Pakistan, is already tough to begin with only because there are not enough platforms or at least there weren't at the time when I decided for it. So I had a lot of issues in getting myself the right kind of exposure and it was hard to make people take me seriously as a musician. Despite all of that, the reactions of the audience has stunned me, the support I get from my fans is just absolutely heart warming. Nothing beats the support of my family though. They have had my back since I was little and I am so thankful to them.

2- Do you think there is still a stigma attached to singing and music in general especially for girls?

Definitely not stigma, at least not from my understanding. I know many many young female musicians who are extremely talented and even if they are not that recognized, they still post videos of their covers and are truly motivated. Music is in everyone's lives; it's a great form of art through which people can express themselves and feel other everyone else's emotions from. Musicians my age or younger than I, who have the passion for music must be motivated to do so and must work hard through out to get to the top. And in most scenarios, motivation is lacking.  

3- How much and in what ways has Nescafe Basement helped you, other young artists and the music scene?

Nescafé Basement has definitely made me a better musician in so many ways that it's hard to explain. It has taught me so much more about music and how much dedication I need to put into music to make it worth listening. All the endless video shoots and jams were literally all worth it. It is a platform where musicians like myself get to shine and show the world how talented we are. It has not only been a successful show in Pakistan but also in many other countries. I have met so many talented musicians with great stories of their own. Xulfi Bhai, has done a great job with this show and in bringing forward loads of talented young people of Pakistan to the world. I wouldn't be able to hit those 'crazy' notes if it weren't for the support from him- Xulfi Bhai, you rock! 

4- What would you like to say to the young girls who aspire to enter the music industry? Where should they start from, how should they go about it?

To all my fellow young musicians, not just girls, I want you all to follow your dreams and fight for the success. If you want to be a successful musician then grab an instrument, learn how to play, learn how to sing; make videos, post them online. This is the 21st century. The best way to show the world you are out there is through social media. If you really put your heart into it, you will get there. Struggles and all sorts of heartache will come along the way but that is only because that's how you get to the top. My great friend Shamoon Ismail once said (referring to himself, me and other fellow musician friends), 'We are where we are today because of all the struggles we've been through, we've worked hard to get here and we'll work harder'. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, if you really want to do something, you CAN do it. You just have get up, have a positive mind and start with something, anything. Never give up.