The Maldivian connection… 

She is known in the local showbiz world as Sheru…the singer! But, I’m sure, not many, in the scene here, are still aware that Sheru, who hails from the Maldives, is the sister of the Maldivian Vice President Faisal Naseem.

Sheru, whose real name is Safoora Naseem, has made Sri Lanka her home – for the sole purpose of her son’s education.

And, while attending to her son’s studies, she also launched herself, as a singer, and soon gained recognition as a dynamic performer.

What’s more, she quickly found herself in the company of some of Colombo’s leading groups, including Aquarius and Mirage, and also doing guest performances with top bands, like Sohan & The X-Periments, and other known outfits.

In fact, it was the band Aquarius (original outfit) that brought Sheru into the limelight. 

She was in Dubai, with Aquarius, for quite a while.

Due to various other commitments, Sheru decided to embark on a solo career and, here again, found plenty of work coming her way.

She was popular with event organisers because of her ability to entertain, with her stage presentation, and vocals.

Sheru was enjoying the attention she was getting, as a performer, until the Coronavirus pandemic cropped which, literally, killed the showbiz setup here.

The wait, with no work, was too long for Sheru, and she, ultimately, decided to return to the Maldives, for a short while.

Due to the pandemic, entertainment is not booming in the Maldives, either, but Sheru found work coming her way which kept her busy during the festive period.

She went into action at a resort, which is popular with Russian tourists, and entertained guests, performing with a band called The Legends.

Sheru described them as musicians who have performed, in the Maldives, for decades – hence the name The Legends.

They did the 31st night scene which, unlike in Sri Lanka, was made up of several segments – live music, DJ music, dance items, etc.

Sheru was on stage, for the countdown, but the music was handled by the DJ, who went on till about 4.00 am.

“We did just one set, as a six-piece outfit,” said Sheru, adding that most resorts, in the Maldives, now prefer duos and trios.

“As The Legends, we also tackle the duo and trio scene,” she said.

The next big event, at this resort, is the Russian Christmas, which is celebrated on January 7th.

Sheru will decide on her next move, after this particular event.

“I would love to get back to Sri Lanka, but, unfortunately, there is nothing much that I could do there, in the present situation.”

She says if she decides to remain in the Maldives, then she would work as a duo, or trio, at some of the resorts.

Sheru also added that she looks forward to reading ‘Star Track,’ in The Island, every Tuesday, to keep abreast of what’s happening in the music industry.