Khabbazi: The Interview
Khabbazi is the alias of Canadian-Iranian recording artist Sarah Khabbazi whose smooth waves in R&B stronghold Toronto, Ontario are washing up on the right shores.
Khabbazi’s music is shrouded in a dense fog not unseen in a steam room or sauna. The songs she sing melt as they stream, becoming puddles of what was once a longing so palpable one felt she was singing in the room with them. In this way, her discography to-date is one long, narrow river that’ll forever quench thirsts. After finding her music on Instagram, notably the outrageously vibey “Thugs In Miami”, I reached out to her for an interview. She’s Toronto-based, because where else? Toronto is all day all night with the R&B, and Khabbazi is carrying the torch just fine. She’s only dropped 2 EPs so far, and a handful of singles. We’re anxiously awaiting whatever’s next from the singer/songwriter be it an album, another EP, or a new single here at The Right Kind Of Brownies.
Follow Khabbazi on Twitter, Instagram, Apple Music, Spotify, and Soundcloud where she releases demos.
What is your earliest memory of music?
I went to visit Iran for the first time when I was two years old. My mom and her friends were always throwing parties. They would come with a santur and chang. [Editor's note: The santur (also santūr, santour, santoor) (Persian: سنتور, is a hammered dulcimer of Iranian or Mesopotamian origins. The chang (Persian: چنگ [tʃæŋɡ]; Turkish: çeng; Arabic: al-ǧank (ṣanǧ); Georgian: changi (ჩანგი) is a Persian musical instrument similar to a harp. It was very popular and used widely during the times of ancient Persia, especially during the Sasanian Dynasty where it was often played in the shahs' court. It was also played until the 19th century in the Ottoman Empire but has since disappeared from Turkish folk music.]
My mom and her two sisters were belly dancers at the time. I would try to mimic them. I was intrigued by how the instruments made the sounds they did. When I was belly dancing on a glass table, I fell forward and broke my four front teeth that didn’t grow back correctly until I was 13.
How musical is your family?
My mom and dad can both sing. My dad has a fantastic voice. When I go to his Persian soccer parties, he busts out the tombak. [Editor's note: The tombak (Persian: تنپک, تنبک, دنبک، تمپک), also tombak, tompak,donbak, dombak or zarb (ضَرب), in Afghanistan zer baghali (زیر بغلی), is a goblet drum from Persia (ancient Iran). It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music.] He starts singing some random classical Iranian songs. I never know what the fuck is going on, but it sounds good. My brother is always introducing me to new artists. He has the right ear for music.
Are you the first to make music in your family?
Many people don’t know this, and it’s sometimes better that way even though I'm about to expose. My uncle was a very well known and respected artist from Iran. Jahan Ghashghaei. Unfortunately, he’s not here with us anymore.
How is Toronto treating you?
I came to Toronto when I was 16, and I remember being on the street somewhere, I looked at my brother. I told him, "I'm going to move here in my 20s.” I moved here once, left after three months, tried to come here again and moved to Greece instead. I came to visit in 2017, and it felt right to move here in the summer. I arrived July 1 2018. I’ve had the best year and a half. Toronto has been amazing. I’m never bored in this city. There’s always something going on. I live by a lake which has the most fantastic sunrise and sunset. I’m really happy here but excited about my next move.
How old are you?
Young enough.
Who was the first person to call you Khabbazi?
I worked with my friend Ian Duck. He started calling me by my last name, and it caught on with other people. Everyone I worked with just started calling me Khabbazi. No one knew I made music when I had my first initial meeting to begin my EP. They asked what I wanted. I slept on it for a month and was like yeah, this is it.
What do you remember about the very first song you made?
I started writing poetry at the age of 10. It was the only way I could express myself. I had met a girl who had moved from South Africa to Vancouver, Ashley Rawlings. She had a beautiful accent and was so good at playing guitar. We were 15. I had written a poem about this girl at a lake. I sang the words to her, and she just started playing guitar, and it’s still one of my best pieces I made, which was with her. We sang it at the talent show at our school, and it was funny because the girls who used to bully me in high school loved the song. They became kinder to me when they found out I wrote the song.
Who are your musical inspirations?
One of my biggest inspirations was when I saw Banks. She had opened for The Weeknd, and I had no idea who she was. I had goosebumps the entire time she was one stage.
Who has championed you?
My friends have been so supportive of my music. My friend Narges threatened me to make a Soundcloud account, or she would stop talking to me. I’m so grateful for that threat. It’s crazy because it made me realize who my friends are, and I mean that in a positive way. My parents have pushed me, as well. I was initially found through Soundcloud by local managers of other artists. Ali Saber was one of the guys who had seen me on Soundcloud and pushed me to start my EP called Trust Me. We no longer work together. However, he is one of the reasons I started.
What was it like making "His Teeth”?
I worked in a psych ward. I would go to the recreational pool on my lunch breaks and write songs. I was watching this guy swim, and the song naturally came to me. I already had the beat from Homage. I love the song. It’s one of my favourites. It felt terrific making it.
You haven't released any music since then, August 8 2019 - why is that?
My engineer quit. I am not trying to make that an excuse. We both understood each other musically. I haven’t connected with anyone since. I have released some songs on Soundcloud. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and need to take a break. I don’t like forcing anything. I’ve been working on songs in my kitchen. Eventually, I’ll put them out.
What was it like making the song "Thugs in Miami"?
Nostalgic. I love Miami. I lived there for a month with my close friend in October 2017. We stayed in this beautiful house on the ocean. We went out every single night. The culture there is unique to me. It has this Spanish, rustic, sexy ass vibration to it. I went to this club called Dream earlier that year in January, and it was the first time I enjoyed watching people grind on each other. It was a narrow long dance floor, and everyone was dancing so close, smoking blunts and drinking. You would go outside, and there would be these beautiful old school Cadillacs parked outside. It felt like home. The men in Miami have a different vibe to them. I heard the beat by Aivy, and instantly I was like… Thugs In Miami. I had the title before the actual song.
What are your thoughts on music's part to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
I work in the medical field. I can’t hear or talk about COVID19 anymore. It hurts my head.
What was it like doing your first project, the five-track EP Trust Me, in 2017?
It was the first time I felt euphoria and happiness like that. I realized anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I was running around telling people to quit their jobs and listen to their passions. I didn’t tell anyone other than my very close friends that I was working on the EP. I just came out with it, and it did so well. For me, it did so well. I genuinely had no expectations. I had a full team that believed in the project as much as I did. I worked on it for six months. To me, that was more than enough.
What was it like doing your second project Human Prescription in comparison?
It was fun. That EP was made for fun, to be honest. I did have expectations through this one, and it ended up stressing me out. I landed a show through HYPHY and Artist Block in Vancouver @ Fortune Sound Club for my EP release, which is huge. I did the Canadian Musical Festival then had another show that following year. A lot came from it. I learned a lot from that EP about myself.
How did you decide on the genre you make today?
I don’t have a genre. People decide for me. I just nod my head.
What do you remember about the very first song you ever wrote and recorded?
I had come home from work at 4 am. I was working in the restaurant industry and lived at home still. My dad was awake. I asked him if we had a microphone. Ten minutes later, he came upstairs with two rock band microphones and was like, "here". They both had huge dents, but they connected with my garage band. I produced and wrote Favourite Colour and Hydraulics. Those are the two songs that got me to where I am now.
What is your writing process?
I need to be inspired or stimulated.
How collaborative is music for you right now?
I’m getting some emails with beats, or I'm sending acapellas.
How many songs would you say are in the vault?
Around 9.
What are your thoughts on the state of music right now?
Anyone can make music now. There are some fantastic artists, however.
What do you look for in producers?
Their intentions.
Is there a genre of music you wouldn’t touch?
What the fuck is country? But, I respect anyone doing their thing if they’re a good person.
What is your label and management situation industry wise?
I’m not under anyone. I also don’t work with friends.
What is your favorite aspect of the musical community in Toronto?
Everyone can relate in a way.