Arash – Making music in the sun

The singer/songwriter Arash Labaf is a global superstar, having racked up billions of views for hits like “Boro Boro” and “She Makes Me Go”. He’s in demand as a collaborator with artists like Marshmello, Shaggy and Snoop Dogg, he’s a TV personality as well and he’s won numerous awards.

Arash’s roots are Persian- he was born in Iran although his family left for Sweden when Arash was a boy and he stayed living there until recently. A few years ago he moved to Dubai, but he’s continually looking for ways to incorporate his heritage into his music. One way he does so is by singing in Farsi, his mother tongue, on most of his songs.

Georgia Tolley follows Arash in Dubai as he works on his music. She meets Arash’s longtime collaborators, producer Robert Uhlmann and his brother Henrik who’s Arash’s manager, and hears how Arash creates songs and draws on his rich cultural background.

Presented by Georgia Tolley
Produced by Georgia Tolley and Emma Kingsley for the BBC World Service