A-Zal’s Frenzied ‘Fa Fa Fa’ is His Way of Addressing Racism
The Indian-origin conjures a hectic, minute-long electronic song with a message to end hate crimes
Indian-origin, New York-based artist A-Zal. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Mumbai-bred, Indo-American artist A-Zal uses angsty electronic production to channel his reaction to what he calls a racist attack, on his latest song “Fa Fa Fa.” Coming in at just over a minute, the song comes with a music video that sees A-Zal bursting with energy as he hears the frenetic-paced electronic song as he makes his way through New York City.
It was recently that A-Zal faced “a racist attack from a housing committee board member” in New York City. A press release states, “This incident was a harsh reminder that racism still exists, even in a country he deeply loves. The board member eventually resigned, and A-Zal received immense support from various anti-racist groups and other board members.”
A music composer, producer and singer-songwriter who made the move from Mumbai to the U.S., A-Zal became a permanent resident in 2018 and is now a U.S. citizen. Perhaps subject to latent racism in the U.S. in the past, this incident specifically highlights what the artist calls “the sad truth.” He does, however, add, “There are some negative elements in every society. But that doesn’t make everyone bad. One person attacked me, but I received support from at least 50 others. The ratio of love is massive, and that’s what makes it worth living for.”
There’s a certain nonchalance in the way A-Zal strides through on the track, which is certainly his most experimental work since pop songs like “Movie Script” and “Lonely Town” from 2023. The artist describes the sound to be inspired by gangsta hip-hop and trap. He adds, “Pop wouldn’t be the right sound to tell this story. I chose to use just one word and compelling visuals to convey my message to the world.”
The “Fa Fa Fa” music video, self-directed like his other music videos, shows A-Zal grooving to the song on the streets and subways of New York City. The artist is seen walking through crowds, seemingly in a world of his own. He says about giving the song a visual dimension, “This music video is by far the most important in terms of storytelling. Shooting this video was like method acting. Bringing out my emotions was vital, making this one of my best-directed and performed videos.”
While this is a one-off experiment that allowed A-Zal to speak his mind, the artist is also prepping his debut album 17 & 11 Nights to release at the end of 2024, with a second album planned for 2025.
Watch the video for “Fa Fa Fa” below.
