Max Amini Decoded

Someone made a clever observation about me when they said "you love funny". They were spot on. I do love funny. What's not to love? If you're innately funny, you're generally good with strangers, acquaintances, colleagues, children and dogs - well, not sure about dogs, never had one. What intrigues me most about comedians is what lies behind the funny on stage. To hear it directly from the horse's mouth, I caught up with the VERY hilarious comedian, Max Amini and here's giving you a sneak peek, but first, some stats. I'm actually surprised I feel the need to add numbers in my blogs. One, I hate maths. Two, I'm allergic to numbers and four, I suck at maths.

Max Amini in Amsterdam

• YouTube subscribers: 66,000 +
• Facebook likes: 400,000+
• Twitter followers: 53,000+
• Instagram followers: 123,000+
• Times I have seen Max live: 2

It's been fourteen years since Max joined the comedy scene and catapulted himself into the Max Amini we know today. I personally find that his appeal lies in his effortless improv and unbelievably perfect understanding of Iranian culture and everything Iranian. Note to self all - people are not Persian, the language Iranians speak is, as is the rug in your mother's house and the neighbor's cat (Maz Jobrani, the other infamous Iranian-American comedian, would agree with me here).

I can't recall how exactly I came across Max but I'm glad I did because his comedy is infectious.When I heard he was visiting Amsterdam in 2015, I had to buy a ticket. In fact, I took my mother for her birthday. When it was time for the photo opp, I gave my mum my phone and asked her to take a picture. Max, true to Iranian culture, reached out to greet my mother before speaking to me. Needless to say, he won her over instantly! The second time his comedy tour brought him to Amsterdam, I decided to leave my mother behind and hijacked him for an interview. Yes, you get a sneak peek but first, check out some of my personal favorite Max Amini comedy ... 

"Tomato juice"

"Persian Guys"

"Dancing Seriously"

Now that we're in the same head space ...

Naveen: Congrats on selling out all your shows! What's life like on the road?

Max: I get to experience new cultures and people - that's pretty awesome. I don't get to have much of a routine for a healthy lifestyle.

Naveen: How does a comedian maintain a relationship on the road?

Max: It's very difficult. My last relationship lasted four years, sometimes we traveled together. It can work but it depends on the type of people and the lifestyle they have.

Naveen: Does the future Mrs. Amini need to be funny?

Max: It helps.

Naveen: You're known for your improvisation. How do you create fresh content?

Max: I am an observational comedian. It's all in my comedy notes on my phone.

Naveen: How do you prepare for the physical comedy? The London tube one was spot on!

Max: I try to make it spontaneous and unpredictable for my fans.

Naveen: Maz Jobrani seems to have paved the path for Iranian comedians. Do you agree?

Max: One has nothing to do with the other. There are other comedians with Persian descent. Every artist has to be authentic. We're all friends and support each other.

Naveen: What's been the best compliment and worst criticism that you have received?

Max: My comedy appeals to all ages from 8 to 80. I appeal to a mass. It's universal humor; I don't care or look for the criticism.

Naveen: What makes a comedian successful?

Max: Hard work, tenacity, experience, commitment. Experience is the most important in stand up. The longer they perform the better they find their own voice. The only secret to stand up is to keep doing it. It's a mix of talent and hard work. You have to trust the journey and be receptive.

Naveen: Which female comedians do you admire? What do you think of Amy Schumer?

Max: I'm not a fan of Amy Schumer. She goes for shocking more than funny. I like Wendy Cummings.

Naveen: What's the lifespan of a comedian?

Max: I'll eventually do less cities as I'm focusing on producing and directing films.

Naveen: Do you ever get stage fright?

Max: Not really, I get excited to go on stage.

Naveen: Do people expect you to be funny off camera?

Max: ALL the time

Naveen: Tell me something no one knows about you.

Max: I'm the gangster of love [laughs]

Follow Max on Instagram @maxcomedian

Yesterday, today and tomorrow - that's ghazals for you!

Muhammad Zubair is Pakistan's rising talent. At just 22 years old, he strode ahead of grueling competition all the way to the grand finale of Asia's Singing Superstar broadcasted on Zee TV Middle East and Pakistan's own Geo channel in January 2016. The contest was open to all ages and thousands of hopefuls took part across the Middle East, Pakistan and India. A year on, I had the chance to listen to Muhammad at close quarters at a family function in Karachi and officially converted from someone who only listened to commercial music to someone with a great appreciation for ghazals.

For those less familiar, ghazals go back centuries to the time of Hafiz and Mirza Ghalib. Mostly written in Urdu or Persian, they are poetry personified and captivating with repetitive verses and traditional musical instruments like the harmonica and the tabla. Beauty is synonymous with a ghazal and true to it's Arabic origin - "talking to women".  Commons themes in a ghazal are love, devotion and wonder. As I observed the captivated room of men and women of different generations at this family function, I realized ghazals embody a level of spirituality that somehow have a hypnotic pull.

Muhammad's triumph at Asia's Singing Star rings even louder to me as he has a speech impediment, a result of a childhood illness. Amazingly enough, his powerful voice shows no signs of this, a hurdle he has overcome beautifully. In a televised interview, Muhammad proudly looks into the camera and says, "People often say you stutter - how can you possibly sing?". "Just watch me" he adds.  The world's doing just that! The famous composer, playback singer and judge of Asia's Singing Superstar, Shankar Mahadevan, called him a "young Mehdi Hassan", probably the best compliment he could have received.

The oldest of eight siblings, Muhammad was born in Karachi. His father is Ghulam Sabir Yusufi focused on naat's (poetry in praise of Allah), and his grandfather was Alhaj Khursheed Ahmed Khan, also not an uunfamiliar name. It is no coincidence perhaps that Muhammad decided to take the musical route. His musical aspirations started young where he sang national songs at school events. In 2008, he started to pursue music seriously. His teacher was Muhammad Hussain who he refers to as "saab" or "sir".

  
While ghazals can be considered a mature style for someone his age, Muhammad says that he had no interest in being a one-hit pop or rock wonder with a two or four year stunt. He realized early on that ghazals had longevity. I'll agree with him that Mehdi Hassan is relevant even today. Muhammad compares music to English and Maths, a subject that needs to be learned and nurtured properly. He has some tips for aspiring singers:

• Learn from an expert or "ustad"
• Practice every day
• Listen to experts who have already made their mark

His heroes in music include his father who taught him the basics as well as his "ustaad" and Mehdi Hassan. He draws his inspiration from folk music, namely Tufail Niazi's.

Asia's Singing Superstar is certainly a big feather in his cap, but he's not about to rest on his laurels. In a couple of months' time, we'll see more music from Muhammad, some original, others Mehdi Hassan covers with a touch of jazz for a contemporary sound.

I tried to dissect the ghazal and Muhammad was kind enough to explain the intricacies of a ghazal to me but I'll admit that they were lost on me and he may as well have been speaking Chinese. Don't think I should give up my day job any time soon. Some things are best left to the experts!

Follow Muhammad Zubair on Facebook and subscribe to his channel on YouTube.