DIGGING DEEPER
ZARIF IN MY NEW VIDEO, I SHAVE MY HEAD. HERE’S WHY... I made the video for my single, "Nothing But A Memory", two weeks before I was due to start chemotherapy for breast cancer. It was my second time being diagnosed with cancer, and so the second time I had to have treatment. The first time around, when I was told I would lose my hair, I had this idea that I wanted to recreate the scene from one of my favourite 90’s films, Empire
Records, where Debra hair would be going. All of shaves her head in the it. Eyelashes, eyebrows, bathroom of the record everything. store. I’ve always loved that scene and thought filming "WHEN I HAD CHEMO a homage would be a way THE SECOND TIME to turn my hair loss into something constructive. I KNEW WHAT TO But when it came down EXPECT AND I KNEW to it, I was caught up with MY HAIR WOULD the fear and uncertainty of BE GOING. ALL OF a new regime and its side effects, and any thoughts of IT. EYELASHES, a creative outlet were soon EYEBROWS, abandoned. EVERYTHING." When I had chemo the second time I knew what Shaving your head is to expect and I knew my usually seen as something 16
