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Bahraini Dana Mohammad is making a name for herself across the island as a ‘Cover’ singing sensation and is hoping to make a career for herself in the music scene while sharing the beauty of song revivals.
Cover songs are reinterpretations or new recordings of a previously released track by someone other than the original artist or composer.
There are a few artists who enjoy performing covers and an audience that love to hear them, as it allows them to connect with the musician and the original song.
Cover songs can even turn artists into stars such as Italian glam rock band Måneskin. The group from Rome ruled the Internet last summer after winning the hearts of listeners with their rendition of the Four Seasons’ Beggin cover. It hit number one on the global Spotify chart and a mainstay of the US top 10. It even made it on to Billboard’s Hot 100.
In Bahrain, Dana is captivating crowds at different venues with her renditions of songs such as You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa, and Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey…and she can’t get enough of it.
“I want to spread the message that covers don’t have to necessarily sound like the original!” said the 22-year-old project executive from Saar who has a Bachelor’s in Business Management with a minor in Economics.
“While singing covers, I love to create melodies, runs and layers to give a song cover its own twist – adding an element of surprise.
“During high school, I performed in talent shows and weddings. Then between 2017 and 2019, I was actively performing at open mic nights. In 2019, I was part of a choir for a musical event at university and this year I finally got to gig at lounges and alongside bandmates at Sa’ada in Muharraq.
“Singing has always been a creative and therapeutic outlet. Performance has been an innate part of my musical journey; I would take on any opportunity to perform! The moment I get on stage, I escape reality and cherish every moment.”
While Dana always dabbled in singing, she started taking it seriously 10 years ago after she tried singing a song she heard on the radio and couldn’t get it right.
Ever since that day, she challenged herself and knew that singing was something she wanted to explore. She was heavily influenced by musicians such as Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and Miley Cyrus.
Her music style, on the other hand, is a blend of pop, rhythm and blues, jazz, funk and soul, as they are the genres that mainly suit her voice.
She recently released a cover of Toxic by Britney Spears on YouTube.
“It happens to be my all-time favourite cover as it’s an iconic song with a personal rendition to fit my vocal style,” she added.
Dana learned by watching and listening to other artists, in addition to inquiring and accepting feedback from others in the industry.
“I still continue to learn techniques 10 years later,” she said.
“I am currently learning to play the ukulele. I am also planning to release covers on Instagram and tap into other platforms.
“I expect people to catch me performing at public events soon!”
For details, follow @danaamohd on Instagram.
