Sound of Music
Manama : Ashwag Abdulla – a Saudi citizen living in Bahrain for the past 16 years – comes from an intense musical family.
Her two brothers are guitarists, her sister a keyboardist and her father is an Oud player.
Ashwag started singing at a very young age. She used to sing while her father played the Oud. Later, she enrolled in music classes at the Salman Cultural Centre.
Simultaneously, as a profession, she pursued marketing and works as a brand activator. Besides, she played the role of TV hostess for many Bahrain TV shows and is currently part of Misfitz Comedy.
Ashwag initially thought that her line of career would be that of a theatre actress, but it was Salam Zaiman who heard her voice and suggested that she should consider singing seriously.
While working with the band BG harmony in Block 338 the Nest festival, she met Ala Ghawas’ brother Ahmed Ghawas aka Maxim Meraki.
Ala had been looking for a female vocalist. It all clicked when Ahmed recommended her and they became band mates ever since. She is now the female back-up vocalist of Ala Ghawas & the Martians band.
Ala Ghawas & the Martians
“Ala is a great musician. He is simply brilliant, he is very supportive and very enthusiastic about new ideas. Every band member is a talented musician, it is such a pleasure that I got to learn a lot. Sharing the stage with Ala Ghawas & the Martians is indeed a big achievement,” Ashwag said.
She revealed that travelling helps her learn a lot about music. She recalled the six months she spent in Colombia, where she was introduced to a whole new culture and music genres.”
“Being a musician is something I cannot simply detach from my daily life. I do everything with music around me. I enjoy listening to music and searching for hours for new great pieces to listen to! I aspire to have my own Arabic Jazz band in the future as it is my favourite genre.
For Ashwag, music is limitless
“Music is always there for people based on their different moods and experiences. What excites me the most about being a singer is the ability to sing a song that someone can relate to. It can bring a smile on a person’s face and even make them dance.
“Music itself is my biggest inspiration. I always wish I could live forever just to witness how music will evolve and where it will reach in the future,” she said.
Being a young Arab singer
Speaking about music in Bahrain, she said, “I believe Bahrain was and still is a place that generates a lot of amazing talented artists. It’s always been the birth place of many great musicians like Khalid Al Shaikh and Ali Bahar. So it is not a surprise to see this amount of support for a young local woman who aspires to become a singer and to be part of the scene.
“Although I am an Arabic singer originally, it is challenging that I am only being asked to sing in English as we don’t really have Arabic bands that sing the genre I like to perform live.”
“If I have anything to tell the other artists out there, it is to do just what they love without heeding to what others might say. You’ll always find people who appreciate what you are doing!” she added.
Ashwag will be doing more future gigs with Ala Ghawas & the Martians and she is also working on a project with musician Ali Malik.
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