Exclusive interview of Axar.az with shining star, successful participant of "Voice of Azerbaijan" song contest, singer Kamran Sailor Latifov.

– Introduce yourself please.

– I'm Kamran Latifov, a graduate of Marine Engineering in Azerbaijan State Marine Academy and a motorman of "Seabed Supporter". I am also co-founder of AYDO and a vocalist in PicMus Production.

– When did you understand that you have a talent?

– My singing talent started to show up when I was at school. In my 5th and 6th grade I started to sing in school's events and really loved our singing class. Later, it became a part of my life, I would learn songs and sing them in my head all the time when I was doing something else.

– Could you get support from people around you during your music career?

– I always had the support from my friends, my mother and all the other relatives, but it took a while to convince my father which was my mother's big mission. Because after 7th grade I really wasn't going home as much because I studied in Sheki and stayed in dormitory and then came to Baku for my university studies. So, my mother took the initiative to convince my father herself and it finally happened, now, he enjoys it as much as, if not more than, everyone.

– Which genres do you prefer, which ones are your favorites?

– I prefer anything that sounds good to my ears but mostly, it's light rock, R&B, pop, Rock'n'Roll and Blues.

– Which one do you prefer for your future life: Music or your major? Why?

– To be honest, I absolutely love engineering but music is something where I shine more. By shining I mean the personal satisfaction that I get doing that. The reason is simple, it was something that I didn't really choose to do, it was always there, in my head, or you can say soul, from when I was a little kid. It never left me and grew more and more in me and now, everything I do has a bit of music in it. Even when I'm at the ship, working, doing my daily checks, I sing to myself to keep myself entertained.

– Talk about your impressions about "Voice of Azerbaijan" song contest please.

– The Voice projects have always been great, the whole idea is very exciting and no wonder it had such huge blow in Azerbaijan when it started first. It was very informative and the best music practice I could get. I got my first professional vocal classes in there and learned a lot. The atmosphere wasn't ideal, but I had good reasons to keep pushing myself, getting what I want from every inch of space and freedom that I was provided with. No matter the hiccups, I would definitely say it was the best experience and I would do it again if I had a choice to go back in time.

– Do you plan to attend any other song contest?

– I really want to, but it's really hard considering that I work at ship now and it's very hard to manage time this way. I hope that in future, I will have more freedom in terms of time management and do another big step to fulfill my hunger for music.