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Budding musicians and aspiring DJs were provided with an opportunity to showcase their talents recently at the second annual Bahrain Music Conference (BMC).
The three-day event, branded with the tagline ‘attracting inspiration through collaboration’, featured a packed schedule which included workshops, an international industry trade show and performances from industry professionals.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, conducted in the atmospheric Bizarre Lounge at Le Méridien City Centre Bahrain Hotel, event organiser Fawaz Al Olaiwat outlined the goals of the conference.
He said: “Our main aim is to help educate local artists on different areas of the music industry. In particular, we want to focus not only on the art of DJing itself, but also managing and production which are equally important.
“There is no form of education about the industry in Bahrain, so that is why we have brought professionals from outside to perform and offer their advice to help the local talent.”
Among the renowned performers at the event was DJ Derrick May, one of the founding members of techno music, who performed a headline gig at Mezaluna in Adliya.
Mr Al Olaiwat, who himself has been one of the kingdom’s leading electronic musicians since 1999 under the guise of DJ FawazO, added: “The local talent here will be able to learn from the masters of their craft and share their experiences with others, helping to grow music in the kingdom.
“The workshops offer a great chance to network with professionals and offer them samples and demos to listen to in person. It’s very difficult to get your music heard and recognised across the internet, but with the Bahrain Music Conference, feedback is immediate and in some cases we have even had local talent endorsed by the pros.”
The three workshops, titled ‘The Principles of Mastering’, ‘Managing Music’ and ‘Audio Mastering - Making Your Music Loud and Clear’, drew a large crowd and proved extremely popular with local Bahrainis, which according to Mazen Maskati, founder of the BMC, highlights Bahrain as a hotbed of enthusiasm.
He said: “My mission is to save Bahrain from bad music. The response we have had so far and the music we have heard proves that we are on track. There is a wealth of talent here and Bahrain is a booming sector of music. Unlike elsewhere in the Middle East, almost all the DJs and performers that get opportunities and gigs are local Bahrainis.
“We have a music scene in Bahrain, but not an industry. Nothing is regulated or standardised, which hinders growth of our artists. Our aim is to break these barriers and offer a platform for these musicians to succeed and showcase what they do. It’s not just about the music, but attitudes towards the industry.”
The BMC continues to support artists throughout the year, with a number of smaller workshops and frequent booking of artists to encourage interaction and exchanging of tracks.
Mr Maskati added: “The professionals share a common goal with us. They want young performers to break through and succeed just as much as the youngsters themselves. Music is universal and everyone wants to see its growth, so the more people making it and spreading enjoyment, the better.
“The interaction element is particularly important. We host these workshops so that locals and professionals can collaborate, bounce ideas off each other and continue to learn. This year was heavily focussed on electronic music, but for future conferences we have numerous plans lined up and we are looking to showcase other genres such as rock, folk and jazz.”
TEENAGE singing sensation Elena Shokry recently hit the high note and achieved competition success at the second time of asking and hopes it will be one giant step to realising her Broadway ambition.
The 13-year-old student from the French School of Bahrain has been singing since the age of eight and her dream is to one day become a professional vocalist and perform in musicals and plays.
She said: “I like classical songs and songs that can show my vocal range. I also love to perform numbers that also show my ability to act and move on stage.”
She has already starred in several school plays such as Peter Pan and The Lion King and was selected to play the lead role in The Music Is Here to Stay, written by her English teacher.
“Hopefully I have many concerts to come. I will continue to work on improving my vocals and will try to enter as many competitions as possible,” she added.
Elena recently tasted success in the Seef Mall talent show captivating the crowd of shoppers and supporters with her soulful voice, winning the contest and walking away with a BD1,000 gift voucher.
Seef Junior Superstars Season 2 featured more than 160 youngsters, aged five to 13, showcasing their creative skills including singing, dancing, gymnastics and acting.
She was one of the 160 participants competing in the annual competition.
She stole the judges’ hearts with her sweet rendition of I Whistle a Happy Tune from the classic movie The King and I, sealing her spot in the top 30.
The judges – comedian Imran Al Aradi, producer DJ Outlaw and singer Carol Souki – were moved by her vocal range and on-stage presence. Her performances also charmed the public, who in return voted for her to make it in the Top 10 finale.
The Egyptian-Spanish singer had participated in last year’s event, making it to the semi-finals. Elena said: “Although I didn’t make it through to the final the first time I had so much fun and learned a lot. But this year was amazing. It was a dream come true.”
In the final, she sang a medley of songs in Arabic, French and English. She got everyone on their feet when she delivered a riveting rendition of You’re the One I Want from the hit movie Grease and then had the crowd swaying to Edith Piaf’s La vie en Rose. She then lit the stage with a song by French/Egyptian singer Dalida entitled Helwa Ya Balady (beautiful my country).
The trendy teen idolises artists such as Adele, KT Tunstall, the late Whitney Huston and Oum Kalthoum.
However, while she may look up to these famous names, she is inspired by her mother Faten El-Gredly, a ballet teacher and jewellery designer.
Elena said: “My mum is talented and creative. She judges ballet and dance competitions and she also designs beautiful jewellery. While we have many family members in different fields of art, I got my artistic talent from her.”
Proud mum Mrs El-Gredly said: “Elena is very committed to her art, she loves singing everywhere and all the time. She knows exactly what she wants to do in her life and that is to sing.”
Nerves of steel and the patience of Job are some of the qualities most parents, bus drivers and commuters need if they are travelling along the Janabiya Highway during the week.
In the morning and evening rush hours the pathway from Saar and Budaiya, and all the compounds in between, converge into chaos as they head to the British School of Bahrain, Batelco HQ, or set their sights on travelling either towards Manama, Riffa or the Saudi Causeway.
Reporter Kristian Harrison and photographer Ryan Bayona took a drive for a couple of kilometres on the wild side to experience the journey.
