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Musical maven May Alqasim’s medical woes and her other trials and tribulations over the years have inspired her to pen a song that would boost spirits and help people heal.
According to the 32-year-old recording singer and songwriter, the EP entitled The Other Side is a combination of old-school, hip hop, rhythm and blues with a modern twist; inspired by her own struggles.
“I chose this name because I wanted to express myself when it came to a very difficult time in my life,” said the performer from Marassi.
“For those who don’t know, I have been through some serious medical issues and the only thing that could save my life was a liver transplant in 2021.”
The successful transplant was conducted in Antalya, Türkiye and doctors had diagnosed that her liver failure was due to a rare progressive disorder called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.
Thankfully, she did make a speedy recovery and learned loads about herself along the way.
“Along with this situation, so many other dramatic situations were becoming even tenser,” she added.
“I learned so many things about myself and a lot about people. I learned that emotional situations can make people behave in different ways; sometimes unexpectedly.
“After that, I came back with music that expressed my relief, my gratitude, my happiness and strength (that I did not know I had). However, there is also the other side of the story— the struggle, anger, extreme confusion and stress that took a toll on me.
“I am finally ready to share this ‘other side’ within my music.
“This EP has been specifically designed to make sure anyone who’s been through any struggle can relate to it in one way or another. We all face ups and downs at the end of the day and music is here to help elaborate.”
The song will be available on music streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon and more on September 1.
In the meantime, she has been performing in different venues around Bahrain and working on new material in the studio. While also working on the promotion of her EP by creating visual and digital snippets, she is developing new singles and enhancing her performances by creating fusions of different genres.
She has also opened her own events company focused mainly on local original talent.
“I hope to release music and music videos more consistently and therefore, the planning must be done in advance,” she said. “For now, I just want people to listen, relate and release what they feel when they hear my EP.
“The power of music should never be underestimated. Some people (like myself) use music as a way to feel like they aren’t alone, someone out there knows how it feels and it can truly make a difference with human psychology. You know, when we sing along and turn the volume up for that one bit that you really, really understand? That feeling, that’s what I hope to achieve with my listeners.”
May is pleased to see more artists writing music from a vulnerable place.
“This type of song-writing isn’t easy, but the reward of creating a connection with one another makes it all worth it,” she said.
“Music is a universal language with so many messages and themes— the exchange between listener and artists has always been and always will be my drive. Keep an eye out for more local talent-based events coming soon too!”
For details, follow @mayalqasimofficial on Instagram.
