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Self-taught musician Fawaz Al Shaikh has released his debut EP album Conference of Birds, becoming the first Bahraini musician to have his album mastered by the iconic Abbey Road Studio in the UK.
Fawaz, who has played keyboard with local band BG Harmony since 2014, made the best of live music venues being shut down for much of the last year due to Covid-19 regulations, and worked on his original music, releasing an extended play (EP) mini-album of five songs.
“To be honest, the Covid-19 lockdown was a blessing in disguise for me as a musician as I had much more time to work on this album,” the 37-year-old musician told GulfWeekly.
“It was around 2018 that I first had the idea for the album but because of band rehearsals and our gig schedule, I didn’t get much time to work on it.
“With the lockdown I was able to do a bit every day and, from writing to recording, it took me 18 months to complete.” The name, Conference of Birds, which is both the name of the EP and Fawaz’s stage name for this project, took inspiration from a number of sources.
Fawaz is a big fan of the poet Rumi and found that one of the poet’s masters, Farid Uddin Al Attar, wrote a poetic epic called The Conference of the Birds, which has inspired numerous poets through the ages. Furthermore, in A Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay, which is one of Fawaz’s favourite bands, band lead singer croons in the second verse, “For the thirst and for the hunger, come the conference of birds,” which is another tribute to the original poem by Attar of Nishapur.
Fawaz also wanted to tip his hat to all the creatives – the ‘birds’ - who came together to help him make this project a reality.
Among his inspirations musically for the album, Fawaz counts The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Coldplay, specifically Chris’ song-writing style and philosophy.
“When my colleague, Sameh Manmandar, and I started BG Harmony, The Beatles became our school of music,” he explained.
“We analysed their vocal harmonies and studied their songs. The backing vocal harmonies by in these tracks are inspired by them.
“I also love the unique balance of mellow and rock music that Pink Floyd has and it inspired me to create these five songs, which each have their own unique flavour.”
And, indeed he has, blending rock and mellow music to create the perfect companion for the drive to and from work.
The EP starts off with Fly, a soothing refrain, which welcomes the listener to the album and by extension, Fawaz’s world. Jasmine, which is this reporter’s favourite song of the quintet, is a jazzier and light-hearted ode to one’s loved one, reminiscent of The Beatles’ Oh! Darling.
Fawaz’s favourite song of the five, Two Lost Boys on the Run, tells the tale of childhood friends growing up, coming from an especially personal space. It is one of two songs co-written with his closest friend Ala Ghawas, with the other one being the next song, A Wild Heart at Sea, which emulates its rhythm after the volatile waves of the life aquatic. The final song, Dire Choir, brings it all together with themes of unity coursing through its John Lennon-inspired musical veins.
Throughout the album, Fawaz is the main voice backed up by Ala. Fawaz also plays the grand piano. Jesse Q strums the strings along with Ala, Ismail Gharib brings in the bass, Debbi Francisco sets the drum beat and Szabi Nigo adds his touches of trumpet to a few tracks. “I am the first in my family to have such a deep interest in music and to release my own EP,” the musician, who works in the finance industry during the day, added. “I took some music classes in school when I was 13, picking up the piano a couple of years later. I never really learned how to read music but I always loved sharing the hobby with those around me.” To help make the project a reality, Fawaz was helped by musicians, singers and artists he has met during his journey, including his wife, Fatima Abdulaal, who created the artwork, embedding little details like nine birds referencing Fawaz’s birthday in September, the ninth month of the year, as well as the Virgo constellation representing his star sign. “I’m ever-grateful to all the artists who helped me realise this dream, including Ala, Mohammed Haddad who created the strings arrangement for the third track, Ahmed Alqasim who mentored me throughout the process and Abdulla Jamal, the iconic recording and mixing engineer from Soundman Studio,” Fawaz added. “I am going to rest for a bit now, and soon will get to work on my next EP and I hope to release it next year!”
The album is now available to stream.
For details, follow @conferenceofbirds on Instagram.
