In November 1995, along with Greg Ellis, Ali formed Vas, producing four albums: Sunyata (1997), Offerings (1998), In the Garden of Souls (2000), and Feast of Silence (2004).
In 2002 she released her first solo album, Portals of Grace, which saw her expand her repertoire even farther and prove her to be equally as adept in singing in 13th century French-Provençal, Galician and Ladino as she is in Arabic.
In 2005, Ali worked on a new project called Niyaz with solo artist Carmen Rizzo and Axiom of Choice member Loga Ramin Torkian. Its self-titled album, Niyaz features Ali's vocals sung in Urdu and Farsi, backed up by more electronica-style music.
In June 2006, Ali released another latest solo album, Elysium for the Brave, where she includes English singing in her repertoire.
Azam Ali collaborated with Keyavash Nourai and Shahrokh Yadegari on the album Green Memories, released in September of 2008.
In 2011, the latest album, From Night to the Edge of Day was released. It features Ali's unique take on traditional Middle Eastern songs and lullabies.
In This Divide
Azam Ali Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To find this sort of faint star
That shone even in this divide
Of where I'd come to be displaced
But maybe here, where time is fleeting
I'll try to fly, but not to stray
Cause we face the tides
Though we mystify
What we flee and feel today
Strained by overgrown dreams
Rooted in disillusionment
But in the hour fate flaws
I know I'm not alone
And fall, it's the way I know
And fall, it's the way I'll grow
Cause we face the tides
Of will and divine
Though we mystify
What we flee and feel today
And why, when there's a way
Above the fire that fears of drought fill,
Do I crawl
The lyrics of Azam Ali's song In This Divide are full of deep meaning and emotions that touch the soul. The song talks about the struggles of finding one's place in the world and dealing with the challenges that life brings. The first lines "Strayed into myself, to find this sort of faint star" suggest that the singer is looking within herself to find hope and light in the midst of darkness. The "divide" mentioned could refer to a physical or metaphorical separation between the singer and her surroundings. She feels displaced, but the faint star tells her that there is still beauty and hope to be found.
The second verse "Strained by overgrown dreams, rooted in disillusionment" suggests that the singer's dreams have grown beyond her control and they have led to a feeling of disillusionment. However, she finds comfort in the idea that someone else is facing similar struggles. This is represented in the line "In the hour fate flaws, I know I'm not alone".
The chorus "Cause we face the tides of will and divine, though we mystify what we flee and feel today" speaks of how we must face the challenges that life throws our way, both in terms of our own personal desires and the forces of the universe. The singer acknowledges that even though we may not fully understand what we are running from and what we are experiencing, we must face them head-on.
The final lines "And why, when there's a way above the fire that fears of drought fill, do I crawl" suggest that the singer knows there is a way out of her struggles, and yet she feels stuck, almost paralyzed by her situation. She questions why she is unable to take that leap of faith and embrace change.
Line by Line Meaning
Strayed into myself
I turned inward, searching for something within
To find this sort of faint star
I discovered a glimmer of hope amidst darkness
That shone even in this divide
The light was still present despite feeling separated from where I belong
Of where I'd come to be displaced
Feeling lost in a place that was once familiar
But maybe here, where time is fleeting
Perhaps in this transitory state, there is an opportunity for growth
I'll try to fly, but not to stray
I will aim for progress without losing sight of my purpose
Strained by overgrown dreams
Feeling burdened by the weight of unfulfilled aspirations
Rooted in disillusionment
These dreams were grounded in disappointment and a sense of loss
But in the hour fate flaws
In moments of unpredictability or hardship
I know I'm not alone
I am reassured that I am not the only one facing adversity
And fall, it's the way I know
Failure is inevitable, but it can be an opportunity for learning and growth
And fall, it's the way I'll grow
Through my setbacks, I will become stronger and wiser
Cause we face the tides
We encounter challenges and uncertainty in life
Of will and divine
These obstacles can originate from both ourselves and external forces
Though we mystify
Despite not fully comprehending
What we flee and feel today
The emotions and situations that cause us distress may not always be clear
And why, when there's a way
Despite a possible path forward
Above the fire that fears of drought fill,
Overcoming fears of scarcity and uncertainty
Do I crawl
Why do I hesitate to move forward?
Contributed by Austin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.