67 years ago, in Japan, “THE LITTLE BOY” didn’t mean innocence; it meant damage, pain and suffering. It wasn’t blue and wasn’t white, it was black and grey with spots of red all over the place. And most importantly it wasn’t a toy, it was the bomb that vanished Hiroshima!

It took only 60 seconds to kill 30% of the total population of Hiroshima, 90% of their doctors and 70% of their buildings were instantly turned into ash. Experts predicted it would take a city wiped off the map decades to ever be the same.

Three to four years after the A-bomb, Hiroshima rose from the ashes!

After all, naming a bomb that killed thousands of children “the little boy” wasn’t that cruel. It gave the Japanese the hope of a new start that a “little boy” can have while riding his bicycle for the first time. Each fall showed him the mistakes, which he should never repeat again. And instead of crying, he smiles and tries again and again until the day comes when he can let the winds wipe away all his painful memories as he ride his bicycle as fast as a bicycle can be ridden.

The people in Hiroshima couldn’t fight death, burns or diseases from the radiation, but they certainly could fight fear, despair and negativity. They knew that with hope and faith, everything is possible. They believed in the power of the human willingness, determination and his ability to recover. When people told them “the glass is half full”, they disagreed and refused to settle for anything less than a “full glass”!

As an Iraqi, my left and right brain sides are always in dispute.

My left side thinks we can never be Hiroshima, Iraq can never be the same, the damage can never be undone, the hurt and pain that each Iraqi carries over their shoulders can never be lifted and that we will have to live with the shame of not recovering forever. My left side thinks peace and happiness have left Iraq long ago, and he insists that they will never come back again. He reminds me every day of our mistakes as Iraqis, as a government and as humans.

And whenever someone asks me “where are you from?” he nags me to deny being an Iraqi, he screams loudly the names of the children who were killed by the Iraqis themselves, he sings the wedding songs of the newly weds who were killed on their wedding nights, and sometimes, he makes me listen to the Iraqi mothers telling their stories which always start with tragedy and end with uncertainty. And when I remind him of Hiroshima, with a voice full of rage and anger, trying to hold on to my last piece of hope, quietly he says “but we are Iraqis, we can never do the same!”

Then…just then, my right side wakes up, with his loud silence, reminding me of the days of Hulagu, when he raped, destroyed and shuttered Baghdad. The days when instead of giving up, Baghdad ran and took the hands of her history, medicine, astronomy and mathematics and hidden them inside of her, under her streets and between her walls, turning her rivers into a blue water which she later generously let us drink.

She was smart enough to know that with sword and hatred, you might be able to kill people, damage houses, or even make a city vanish! But she was sure that they could never erase our history, wipe away our culture. That the smell of smoke cannot replace the delicious smell of our tea, and no matter how bitter our pain is, we can never forget how sweet our date once tasted.

I still believe in Baghdad, in Hiroshima!
I refuse to settle for half-solutions, half governments, and that Iraqis will always live with half happiness, half satisfaction and that sometimes they only get to live half a life!
I still want to believe that I will not settle for half a country, I won’t get to choose between south and north, Sunni or Shia, I will never follow half a religion!
And no matter what my left-brain side says, I try to hold on, as hard as I can, to the belief that my right side will always be RIGHT.

We’re happy to say that since last week it’s been available as an iPhone application as well, which you can download here. Screenshots below:

- Completely revamped web application
- Better navigation
- Ability to easily view, share, add and explore bands
- New player
- Ability to create your own personal collection of favorite tracks
- Ability to receive suggestions for other bands based on your favorite tracks
- An iPhone application that syncs with your collection
… And more!

We think the site speaks for itself – so please head over there and check it out! http://mideastunes.com

Our mission is to bridge barriers of faith and geography to unite young people committed to fostering constructive discourse in the Middle East through music. The core of the project manifested from our desire to promote bands and musicians that would otherwise never be given a second glance in the international scene. We feel that is because most people would never think to look to regions like the Middle East and North Africa for highly thought provoking music. The need to change this is our driving force. We believe music can change the world and that the musicians of the Middle East and North Africa will lead the way.

Founded in 2010, the site has expanded to serve as a primary resource for discovering up and coming Middle Eastern talents. We’re proud of our quick progress and awaiting to unveil amazing new parternships ahead!

In the meantime, enjoy the tunes and discover the very best of the underground music scene brimming from our region: http://mideastunes.com

The commemoration was filled with formative and heated discussions with contents ranging from academic, ethnic and religious perspectives.

Among the contributors was Laween Atroshi, a 22 year old British Kurd and Peace ambassador. Here he discusses the successful and applause worthy developments the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has made thus far in its running. Laween raises points such as our strong education system, and the legal laws implemented within the region which condemn honour crimes and honour killings as well as other acts of human injustice.

He also mentions and makes a request for the UK Labour Party to consider Kurdistan’s cause and struggle for independence and the not so long-ago history of our Halabja genocide.

Laween Atroshi on Kurdistan’s Rights & Development

]]> http://www.mideastyouth.com/2011/12/29/kurds-human-rights-talk-uk/feed/ 0 House of Lords,Human Rights Commemoration,Kurdish Youth,Kurdistan,Kurds,london,UK Human Rights Day 2011 was warmly welcomed in London's House of Lords where a board of delegates came together from across Europe in discussion and reflection of the developments and progress made within the global community on the agenda of human right... Human Rights Day 2011 was warmly welcomed in London's House of Lords where a board of delegates came together from across Europe in discussion and reflection of the developments and progress made within the global community on the agenda of human rights. The commemoration was filled with formative and heated discussions with contents ranging from academic, ethnic and religious perspectives. Among the contributors was Laween Atroshi, a 22 year old British Kurd and Peace ambassador. Here he discusses the successful and applause worthy developments the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has made thus far in its running. Laween raises points such as our strong education system, and the legal laws implemented within the region which condemn honour crimes and honour killings as well as other acts of human injustice. He also mentions and makes a request for the UK Labour Party to consider Kurdistan's cause and struggle for independence and the not so long-ago history of our Halabja genocide. Laween Atroshi on Kurdistan's Rights & Development Mideast Youth no http://www.mideastyouth.com/2011/12/22/program-of-activities-in-bethlehem-area/ http://www.mideastyouth.com/2011/12/22/program-of-activities-in-bethlehem-area/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:25:25 +0000 Mazin Qumsiyeh (Palestine) http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=14365 Below is a program of selected activities in the Bethlehem area starting tomorrow and over the Holidays (your participation if around would be appreciated). I also included a link to the best and most detailed account of the colonial destruction in the Bethlehem area. The district of Bethlehem was burdened with over 45,000 refugees denied their inalienable rights to return to their homes and lands from which they were removed in 1948. Israeli colonial settlement activity since 1967 meant that 180,000 Bethlehemites have access to only 13% of the original district size. And since 2002, Jerusalem was isolated from Bethlehem which resulted in the destruction of the economy of both metropolitan areas for their native people. Contrary to the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel continues to expand colonial settlements and has recently approved thousands of Jewish only homes to be built on Palestinian lands of Bethlehem.

We native Christian and Muslim Palestinians remember that Jesus, the Aramaic speaking Palestinian born in this town spoke truth to powers and asked us to be a “light unto the world”. Join us in working for Peace and Justice this Christmas and the New Year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ALL

Cartoons for Christmas showing what Palestinians (Christians and Muslims) are thinking about -
From the PLO:

From ARIJ:

Data/Report on Bethlehem geopolitical status.

If you still want to make a year-end donation, I encourage you to do so to one of the many deserving Palestinian Charities in Palestine or to groups that do good work for Palestine abroad and have presence in the streets of your country (not ones that merely hold conventions).

PROGRAM

Friday 23/12/2011
18:00 – 21:00 Shepherds’ Nights Festival, Greek Catholic School, Beit Sahour (include Wajd Musical Band –Tunes for Peace Group, Baqoun Troupe for Palestinian Popular Heritage, and more)

Saturday Dec 24:
8:00 Orientation for Internationals about the advocacy work (Palestinian Center for Rapprochement)
10:00 Nativity Square – Christmas Card Distributtion to Tourist
16:00 – 20:00 Shepherds’ Nights Festival, Greek Catholic School (include Keefak Hey Band, Roni Rock, Children Show & Gifts, Sheibat Band – Rock and Roll)

Her blonde locks falling over her large curious eyes, the 4-year-old blonde child played with the toys in her hand. Her mother, seemingly in a hurry, took away the toys and tucked her baby girl in bed. “Where are you going mom?” the innocent girl asked. “I’m going to work. Now you go to sleep” she answered. She quickly got dressed, grabbed the cigarette pack, door keys, purse and rushed outside the door. Going down the stairs, the sound of her stilettos echoed through the walls and she could almost hear her heart beating fast with anticipation. A bit of walking and she finally reached the highway. As she stood there by herself, she took out her small mirror to even out the carefully designed make-up powders that saturated her face. Then a car stopped and a man in the driver’s seat asked her a question she had grown accustomed to: “What’s the deal tonight?” In her tight burgundy dress that just about covered her upper thighs, she bent down, allowing him a deep view into her cleavage, inspected the interior of his car, and responded as she had grown accustomed to: “30 dollars. That’s my only deal”. He instantly extended his hand and opened the door for her to get in. They took off to an unknown location.

This is a story told to me by Leila – The pseudonym of a 24-year old divorcee whom I met, during my investigation into one of Lebanon’s underground worlds: female prostitution.

Leila’s World

Leila’s world is usually avoided, ignored or rejected by the mainstream public, often perceiving it as a shameful, scandalous and sometimes illegal job. Yet, it is a world that is vibrant with the activities of many of the likes of Leila and her “clients”. In Leila’s world, there is a “market” of “clients” and “goods and services”. Tourists from around the region flock to this world, shaping its “supply and demand” for years, but also deepening its roots within society as an ‘evil’. We often choose not to speak of this world, but we all know that it exists. For the sake of public morality, we decide to compromise the truth. Yet the fact remains that female prostitution in Lebanon is a bitter truth that conceals within its many layers the reality of deprived families, abandoned women and neglected children. The glittering lights of nightclubs and the luxury of 5-star hotels may draw a festive picture on the cover of Leila’s story. However, the glitz and glamour of nightlife in Lebanon is nothing but a layer of thick painting on a very bitter social reality in which women, mothers, sisters, and daughters are the stars.

To the onlooker, Leila could appear just like any other normal woman going about her day, but the truth is that she lives a double life. She is a mother during the day and a prostitute during the night trying to make enough money to get herself and her daughter through another day. Indeed, this is the case with the likes of Leila, all of whom find themselves driven by different reasons to lead double or hidden lives. What do we know about this life? How does sleeping with total strangers for the sake of money feel? Is it a feeling of pleasure or disgust? Fulfillment or guilt? As recent research has shown, the woman usually finds herself in a routine, which she has gotten used and eventually numbed by. “I got used to my conditions; they became a part of my identity. I adapted, submitted and became very tolerant to the degradation that I experience” explains Leila, indifferently.

A Narrow Gateway

Seeking answers to many questions in that matter, I referred to “House of Hope”, Lebanon’s only non-governmental organization in the field of sexual exploitation and prostitution. According to well-researched statistics provided by this organization, out of the women who are benefiting from its services in 2007, 103 were subjected to physical violence 78 were victims of sexual harassment, 71 to rape, 29 to incest with ages ranging from 13 to 45 years.

Heba Abou Chakra, an experienced social worker who deals directly with the female victims, explains that due to the sensitivity of the matter, it is difficult to reach out to the victims. “They usually come to our center through the word-of-mouth, or we find them indirectly through the HIV cases which other medical centers detect” she says, explaining that many of the prostitute cases are related to sexually-transmitted diseases, drugs and incidents of domestic violence, which are all associated with prostitution. Each and every female victim needs great support, not just a shelter; According to Abou Chakra, “there is a need for medical, legal, psychological, physical and hygiene support”, adding that some prostitutes resort to the center with their children, who in turn need special kind of support, such as schooling. In one of the recent cases narrated by Abou Chakra, a female prostitute who was sent to prison while being pregnant lost her baby twice. “Frequent abortion is common among female prostitute prisoners” she explains, adding that some prostitutes accept to sleep with strangers “for a price as low as $10 or sometimes the price of a sandwich”. Sadly enough, the need that drives these ladies is often degrading.

Looking at the other side of the problem, there is Abou Karim, the pseudonym of a 45-year-old owner of a super night club north of Beirut. To him, prostitution is a thriving business that has high seasons and low seasons: “Clients in luxurious hotels request photo albums of the ladies I recruit. They make their choice and I deliver the goods. It’s a regular job” says Abou Karim, who inherited this “trade” from his father. The woman has no choice but to abide by Abou Karim’s orders, since he provides her with shelter, food and financial support. Most importantly, explains Abou Karim: “She should do whatever the client desires. Afterall, the client is always right”.

This’ll be my first departure from Australia since repatriating nearly a decade ago. After spending 20 years based in Verbier, Switzerland, I’ve been rediscovering Australian culture, from Sydney to Yamba, Sandy Beach to Tamworth, to Newcastle, to Auburn in Sydney, before moving north again to Byron Bay. It seems settling down is not to be a quick and easy process for me.

I met comedian Akmal Saleh one night in a service station outside Tweed Heads. I was returning from the Gold Coast having watched the ‘crew screening’ of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when who did I see filling up petrol in front of me? Akmal Saleh no less.

Being a fan, and knowing he’s a resident of the Byron Shire I thought I’d go say g’day and see if he’d do a comedy piece for my www.byronvibe.com website. With a flash of his brooding eyes and a shrug of his shoulders, his inimitable pursed grin replied “yeah, sure”.

A couple weeks later, we were wandering down main street in Byron, vox popping with Frank and some other randoms, having a laugh. (View clips here

After several months passed I get a call from Akmal asking if I’d be interested in going to Egypt to shoot a story. I had to think for all of a micro second before responding with an emphatic YES.

Of course the project had a low probability of coming off, as every project seems to at first in the film biz, so I didn’t get too excited as it was february and the trip was scheduled for August. There was a while to go and any number of factors could cancel the project, the instability of the new military government but one of note.

But we had good advice on that matter from an expert on Egyptian affairs who had recently returned from Egypt as well as another friend of Akmal’s who’d been a solicitor in Egypt for many years, and that seemed good enough for me.

Months rolled by. A couple of meetings at Lulu’s in Mullum. Phone calls from Akmal and I’m thinking, “this guy’s serious! Maybe it will happen!”

Sam has been a solicitor in Egypt for many years

Mitigating circumstances meant Akmal had to go in August or he couldn’t go at all… We tried to get a couple of production companies on board, but really time had run out and we had to make a decision: Go it alone or cancel the trip. But Akmal was keen, so with a month left he said “let’s go!”

New passport and visas had to be sorted. Camera equipment had to be sourced. The desire to shoot with Sony’s latest F3 rig had to give way to the reality of running gun in a place like the streets of Egypt and we decided on Sony’s less cumbersome and more discreet EX1, a compact yet high def solution from the friendly guys at Pro Cam in Brisbane.

With a week to go, packing down my gypsy abode should have been an easy process, but a spent tension pulley in the fan belt config meant I had to tow it to the Gold Coast at a cost which would have been better spent on the trip to Europe (yes, Europe, after Egypt, but that’s another story). The damn plastic spindle cost 90 bucks but the replacement of it cost $800 as they had to pull the front end off…

This setback could only be looked at one way. As a preparation to the many contigencies that I knew Egypt was going to throw at me once we were on the ground. Like a war of attrition I began to cross tasks off my list of things to do, before finally cramming tripod, audio gear, cameras and lenses, clothes, laptop and mobile-office kit into two backpacks and a ready-to-shoot bag. About a 50kg load all up.

Parking the ‘Hotel Benz’ at Karin’s (thanks Karin) I loaded my gear into Catie’s Van (Akmal’s wife and the production’s Line Producer) before we proceeded to the Gold Coast airport. The plan was for me to go two weeks prior to them to film the Abu El Haggag religious festival in Luxor which was advertised as being on the 17th and 18th July. This festival is a coming together of Muslims and Christians in a two day parade through the streets of Luxor around the ancient mosque of Abu El Haggag.

Abu El Haggag Mosque and Temple

Nothing like getting thrown in the deep end, on my own in a country I’ve never been to, don’t speak the language of (hoping my french will get me by if English doesn’t), with some expensive camera kit in tow, much to the consternation of family and friends who see the evening news regarding instability in the region…

But I was on my way to the airport, the one sure sign a project is on and the only time one allows oneself to get excited about the journey ahead, because today, I’m off to Egypt.

Riding on the heels of his latest album release, “difrent,” Stephan Said has been keeping busy with a project of the same name which aims to erase the borders that separate us with the power of music. His vision, in everything that he does, is to unite people under the common desire for peace; not just the older generations which most cater to. He wants to showcase and, at the same time, inspire the youth of the world. To give them the incentive to continue speaking out with music as their guide to a better world for all. His journey in music, starting in early childhood years, led eventually to a reconiclation with his own bi-racial heritage and that inner peace fuels every action that he has taken since. Difrent, the album and project, are a direct palpale manifestation of that. It is a movement as powerful as humanity’s capacity for empathy, something that I feel is the core of music itself. With that said, I thorougly enjoyed the experience of getting to know him a bit more on a personal level and I hope that you do too while you listen in on this interview. Podcast posted at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

Recently, Stephan has been partaking in the Wallstreet protests which you can check out live footage of here:

I kinda lucked out with this one. A friend happened to get me into personal contact with Busac of Smouldering In Forgotten for an interview via email. As people know, I’m very fond of conversational interviews any way I can get it other than verbal. This was an interesting one that spanned a total of two weeks with a week of inactivity due to hurricane Irene interrupting my trip back home from a much needed two day vacation spent in Michigan. How the world works in the Mideast is opening up, if not ever so slowly, to those in the US and it’s a very positive thing. So many here hardly know anything about people living there and music helps bridge that gap. Interviews help even more in that vein and this one was excellent in that respect (and in every other way I might add). As always, enjoy the read and getting to know Busac!

What made each of you choose metal as the primary medium in which to express yourselves?

I suppose it just came naturally. We were all friends before starting the band and all had this common attitude and were interested in mostly the same music because we enjoyed all the chaotic aggression found in more extreme sides of metal.

How did you guys come to get into metal, never mind the more extreme sub-genres, in Bahrain? Consequently, how did you all meet and come to find that you had the same attitude/ideology?

Our main exposure to metal came from the Internet. A few years back, metal albums weren’t usually available in music shops around here, and if they were they’d usually be more mainstream bands. Nowadays, metal in Bahrain is growing little by little and albums are easier to come by. My personal experience and interest in this music primarily came from watching a local underground gig years ago, that atmosphere is what really encouraged me to listen to this type of music.

It’s because of small local gigs that our paths crossed and helped form a bond between people here. We all liked the dark atmosphere,and we all like the rebellious and independent nature behind the music and it inspired many of us.

Since it was so hard to find the music, I am betting that it was just as hard for you to pick up instruments when you finally decided to do so. Which instrument attracted you and how did you go about your search to acquire it? What was the learning process like? Were you able to find any teachers in Bahrain for the instrument?

Almost all metal musicians around here are self taught, which is also a reason why many get frustrated and give up. For myself, I started learning guitar almost 9 years ago on my own and then about 4 years ago started to learn drums too for the sake of the band to play live (there aren’t many drummers around here). The learning process was a bit difficult since there was no one to guide us in the right path, we relied on each other for support and encouragement. There are a few music institutes around the country but resources are very limited and are usually aimed more towards basic training only, not so much when it comes to a more advanced level.

So it seems that that made you guys come form closer relationships with each other than most people do in bands over here. I know that in Bahrain, metal is very much looked down upon by society. How do you deal with that and still stay committed to the music that you love? Is living a double life necessary?

Sometimes living a double life just happens on its own because people generally do find it odd that we play loud music such as this and they believe that it is still a phase that we will eventually grow out of. This is one of the bigger challenges we face here because not many people are willing to dedicate a lot towards their passion in music, so when society starts playing a negative role then it just kills it for them completely. The thing that really encouraged us was hearing positive reviews from our releases, usually coming from abroad through social networking sites or album reviews.

As such, what’s recording albums and playing live for you guys like? I’m pretty sure that you can’t record your stuff in professional studios over there, right? What’s the live scene like over there? Tell me about the first time that you ever played live in a band.

Things have been dead here for quite some time but have started to improve recently. We couldn’t find a proper studio at the time so we had to literally make our own out of a bedroom. We invested and took the time to learn the proper steps to make it happen, it was a real struggle. Our experiences playing live is the reward that comes from all the hard work, when we are finally able to see what our music means to people. My first live experience was in 2004, I was a guitarist in a cover band, as soon as I got on stage I knew this was where I wanted to be. Good thing is that within the last 2 years, the number of gigs is starting to increase and there is finally a professional studio opening up soon, Rabble Rouser Studios, for metal bands to record in.

That sounds great! It should also make things easier for bands looking to be signed. Being how small Bahrain is, I’m sure that that almost every metal musician knows about one another in some way. Would you say that you all help support each other despite any differences you may have in approach to music with one another? I read that Mardus played a large role in keeping musicians connected over there, in what way was he able to accomplish that?

Actually you described it perfectly. Metal fans around here form a small community, maybe even a family. I don’t think there are any two bands in the country who haven’t already played with each other in gigs at some point and remained in touch afterwords. We encourage each other, offer whatever help we can for other musicians, even provide facilities if we have any. For instance, my bedroom studio was used to record for many bands besides our own, including Narjahanam, Lunacyst, Extinction Imminent, Punks Not Patriots, Scarlet Tear, and even more solo acts that have yet to be released.

I wouldn’t say Mardus keeps musicians connected, but rather he is an inspiration to many people here, including myself, for having his own vision and actually being able to accomplish it with Smouldering In Forgotten as well as Narjahanam. I haven’t met that many vocalists over here who can growl like him, and moreover, I haven’t met many musicians in the region who can pull off Arabian styled metal as well as he did with Narjahanam.

Ah, I see. So he was one of the first successful musicians from your country, basically. Do musicians from your region tend to work with those from the surrounding countries as well, i.e., the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc? Where did you guys come up with the name “Smouldering in Forgotten” by the way? I’ve been wondering that for awhile.

We’ve had the opportunity to go do Dubai last year for a gig and are actually going there again late September to play in the “Obscura Live In Dubai” gig. Bands from Saudi, such as Sound of Ruby, have come over to Bahrain almost regularly for gigs, Nervecell once came to Bahrain too a short while ago. The only band we worked with in terms of writing music was Al Namrood from Saudi Arabia, Mardus agreed to be a session vocalist for one album and it was recorded in my bedroom studio.

“Smouldering In Forgotten” is a phrase in the song “Upon This Deathbed Of Cold Fire” by Goatwhore. This band was a big influence on us at the time we started the band and it just sounded cool.

Reading your lyrics, they’re very interesting. What inspires them and who does the lyric writing for the band? Also, you mentioned Goatwhore being a huge influence on you guys, any other bands influence your sound as much? Where did you guys get the artwork for your albums? They’re pretty damn good, especially for your 2010 release.

The lyrics were a journey of their own that took a whole year to get done. For our last album, we worked with a good friend of ours, Hammers. He has always supported us so we wanted to involve him in this release somehow. We know he’s an amazing story teller so we sat in lots of brainstorming sessions before deciding to tell a whole story throughout the album, with each track representing a certain event leading to the next. We won’t reveal the details of the story though, you need to do that on your own through the lyrics. All I can say is that it revolves around many themes like revenge, insanity, myths, war… etc.

Goatwhore was definitely a big influence when we first started the band and it really shows in our album “Legions Into Black Flames” in terms of music. By the next release we decided to add a little more variety from other genres, making it more atmospheric, a bit of death metal here and there, some thrash, classical, and even gothic at one point. So it’s a little difficult to name the influences there, it was just a whole lot of experimentation.

The artwork of “I, Devourer” was done by Killustrations, really amazing artist with a twisted taste, definitely a wonderful opportunity to have worked with him. The artwork of the previous releases were designed by us.

For you personally, what keeps you motivated to do what you do, i.e. creating music and helping musicians around you?

For me, it’s just seeing how people react and respond to my music that motivates me. I’m not saying I’m an amazing musician or composer, but I’ve been getting positive reviews so far so that lets me know that I’m on the right track. This is also what makes me want to help people because I know that not everyone has the resources or the time to do everything they want to. I was fortunate enough to be able to commit enough of my time to learn how the recording process works, but others don’t always have this time. If not me, then who?

Creating music is an almost entirely different story though, I can never trigger it no matter how hard I tried. Sometimes it just hits me and I already have a full vision of a song and sometimes I feel like I struggle for months before writing anything. It’s hard to determine what really does it for me, but I try and maintain a certain level of quality in anything I write so I end up not using and forgetting many things I come up with.

Does your interest in music extend to other styles or do you just stick to the extreme genres of metal? Do you have any long term plans for yourself in music? Is there are particular goal that you want to achieve before you are able to “retire” with satisfaction? How does Smoldering In Forgotten fit into those plans?

We occasionally write stuff besides metal, it’s usually more geared towards classical I suppose, an example of this was the ending of “Spiritus Nes Sancti,” that ending inspired the rest of the song. I personally try to explore other music styles as well, as evident in the band Scarlet Tear. Give it a listen and I hope you enjoy it.

My only goal is to go wherever my music takes me. Right now I’m planning on studying music at a well established college, but other than that, I guess we just want to leave our mark in Bahrain’s metal music history.

Seems like you’ve left a pretty nice mark so far. I would like to thank you for doing this interview with me, it’s been a great pleasure and I learned quite a bit about the music scene there. As a closing remark, please describe four our readers one of the greatest hurdles that you’ve had and how you’ve overcome it while transversing your still evolving path as a metal musician in Bahrain.

All I can say is to stay true to yourself and you’ll find your own way to get your message across. All our biggest challenges would have been easily avoided if we decided to take an easier way out, but on the other hand, it’s these challenges that make it all worthwhile in the end.

I also want to thank you for giving me the pleasure of being in this interview. It’s certainly a first time for me to take part in a 2 week interview.