HalaBahrain Dec 2008

HalaBahrain Magazine | December 2008 1

HalaBahrainHalaBahrain MagazineMagazine Lifestyle - Technology

Entertainment - Events

Your Local Bahraini Guide!

Dec 2008 - Volume 1 - Issue 6

Events & Events &

HappeningsHappenings We cover races at the We cover races at the

BIC, island & beach BIC, island & beach

parties, and more!parties, and more!

Local TalentLocal Talent Meet musical

sensation, Ala

Ghawas

Places to Go

Things to Do

Restaurants

Tradition

And much more!


HalaBahrainHalaBahrain MagazineMagazine Lifestyle - Technology -

Entertainment - Events ©

The Golden Month!The Golden Month! Dear Readers, It doesn’t get much busier than this! December 2008 has been dubbed as the ‘Golden Month’ because of the over abundant number of holiday; Eid, National Day, New Years, etc, meaning more time for events, and a busy time for the HalaBahrain Team! There’s everything from stand-up comedy shows to huge musical concerts, and we’ve put in a list of some of the most interesting ones, so make sure to go to as many as you can! As we move into winter, the number of things to do increases, and in November we’ve had everything from island and beach parties, to racing events at the circuit. Take a look at what we’ve covered in this issue. Keeping up with interviewing local talent, we’ve met up with Ala Ghawas, a Bahraini artist with a very interesting style. Check out the review, and visit BahrainTalent.com to listen to his music. Again, we would love to hear from you about anything; send us your emails with thoughts about the magazine, letters, ideas, and let us know what you’re thinking! Till next time, Ammar Al-Aradi

Editor In Chief

The Team

Editor-in-Chief

Ammar Al-Aradi

Creative Director

Fardan Raffi

Public Relations

Amal Fareed

Copyright Information © All Rights reserved. This publication may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Liability: While every care has been taken in

the preparation of this magazine, the publishers

cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the

information herein, or any consequence arising it.

HalaBahrain is a fully registered online publication with the

Bahrain Ministry of Information, under registration number

EQHBH210

HalaBahrain is published

monthly; to view the magazine, for a free subscription, or to

download a copy, please visit www.halabahrain.com. For advertising and all enquiries,

please contact [email protected]

www.HalaBahrain.com

[email protected]

Editorial


Sherine & Wael Gassar Location: Bahrain Exhibition Center Timing: 8:00pm-12:00am

Contact: +973 - 36791819 [email protected]

News, Events &News, Events &

HappeningsHappenings A busy month, with events and parties all around! Don’t miss G-Unit’s DJ Woogie at Aqua Fuego, guaranteed to be a fun night for the Hip Hop and R&B crowd. Al Shomoa Band will be performing live at the Bahrain Museum, in a free concert as part of the festivities going on for National Day, and local musican Khaled Fouad performs in Gulf Hotel on the 2nd day of Eid. Elham also puts together a Jazz & Blues Jam night at Cocoon Lounge, which should be interesting to watch! We also have a number of celebrities performing in town; Egyptian superstar, Tamer Hosni performs live at the Gulf Hotel on the 10th, and Diva Najwa Karam at the BIC on the 11th. We also have stand-up comedy act, Russell Peters, bringing his dose of funny to the Exhibition Center. Sherine & Wael Gassar also perform at the Exhibition Center on the 18th, and finally a New Year’s finale by Iraqi legend Kadhem Al Saher on the 31st of the month. We also have Bahrain’s first rave party at a TBA location. Think you can guess where it is? Send an email to [email protected] with your guesses and you can win free tickets! Motor heads can prepare for a number of events down at the BIC this month, with the Circuit Racing Club organizing an AutoCross on the 12th (timed laps around a track), with open entry. The 2000cc races are on the 19th, and Open Track on the 27th, giving you the chance to take your car on the circuit.

18 December

Russell Peters Location: Bahrain Exhibition Center

Contact: +973-17297040

Upcoming

Elham Jam Session Location: Cocoon Lounge Timing: 8:00pm-11:00pm

Contact: [email protected]

19 December

Open Track Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit

27 December

Kadhem Al Saher Concert Location: Banyan Tree Resort Contact: +973-36051115

31 December

Bahrain’s First Rave Party Location: TBA Contact: [email protected]

Batelco 2000cc Racing Challenge Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit Contact: [email protected]

12 December

CRC AutoCross Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit Contact: [email protected]

Najwa Karam Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit Timing: 8:00pm-1:00am


11 December 9 December

Shadyville/DJ Woogie Location: Aqua Fuego (Days Hotel) Contact: [email protected]

+973-36743921

Tamer Hosni Location: Gulf Hotel Bahrain Contact: +973 - 36791819

[email protected]

10 December

Al Shomoa Band Location: Bahrain Museum Timing: 8:00pm-12:00am


Khaled Fouad Eid Party Location: Gulf Hotel (Awal Ballroom) Timing: 9:00pm-3:00am

Contact: +973 - 3779911


Got something to say? Anything specific you’d like to see in Got something to say? Anything specific you’d like to see in

the magazine? Or maybe you just love our magazine? Hate it? the magazine? Or maybe you just love our magazine? Hate it?

Or just need someone to talk to? Whatever it is, let us know, Or just need someone to talk to? Whatever it is, let us know,

email us on: email us on: [email protected]@halabahrain.com

————

FROM: Moh’d SUBJECT: Love it The magazine is great, and the May interview was amazing! I never realized we had so much amazing talent on our little island! Please keep up the amazing efforts, and we’d love to see more musician interviews! Glad you liked it! May has a

bright future ahead of her,

and so does Ala Ghawas,

who we’ve interviewed this

month! After you read the

reviews, make sure to visit

www.BahrainTalent.com to

hear their music!

————

FROM: Shankar SUBJECT: Fresh It’s nice to see such a fresh mix of modern and classic topics in your magazine. It makes it fresh compared to most magazines out here. We enjoy reading it every single month, and hope to keep receiving it every month to learn more about your beautiful country. Really, a breath of fresh air. Thank you for the beautiful magazine. Thanks. HalaBahrain; fresher

than recently milked cows

milk.

————

FROM: Anonymous SUBJECT: #### You suck. Why don’t you guys just die. Err, no.

————

FROM: Mohamed SUBJECT: None Salut sa va English magazine dude.

————

FROM: Bigg Monster SUBJECT: Bahrain Talent Kudos on the interview, real

nice work, let’s have some more of that. More in this issue! Oh, and

change your name.

————

FROM: James Pearce SUBJECT: Beirut Coffee Shop Amazing magazine; thank you for shedding light on the parts of Bahrain we never hear of. Visited Beirut for the first time, and I must say, lovely atmosphere and sheesha. Please keep it up! Thanks, make sure to try

some Bahraini Halwa after

reading this issue :)

HalaBahrain MailHalaBahrain Mail Mail


BIC EventsBIC Events The Bahrain International Circuit had a busy month! The national drag racing championship started ferociously on the 20th of November, and with a huge crowd turn out, the opener of the season was not to be missed! The day was full of burning rubber and new records set, as the participants fought their way through the quarter mile. Watch out for the high octane powered competition between Popeye Racing and Alanabi teams, sure to have everyone on their toes! The BIC was also greeted with the roaring engines of 44 vehicles, from Vipers, Lamborghinis, Porsches and more, as the Gulf Run participants descended on the circuit. Gulf Run is an annual event where a group of Kuwaiti participants drive down to Bahrain for two full days on the track, driving around the circuit, autocross and drag strip for a crazy weekend! Besides that, there have been a number of other events such as the Por-sche Open Track, round 2 of the drag championships and much more! Be sure to visit the BIC in December for a busy month on the circuit!

Events


Events


Events

The AMA car show was held at the new campus on the 21st of the month, with different categories of vehicles, including everything from classics, to custom 4x4s, sport cars and much more. A good turn out came to see the amazing range of cars and bikes, live music performances, and much more!

AMA Car ShowAMA Car Show


Events

Lebanese acclaimed stand-up comedian, Nemr, gave a well needed dosage of laughs at Club 7. Having previously performed with the Axis of Evil and other comedy acts, this was Nemr’s first show in Bahrain. The club was transformed into a mini-theatre with popcorn and drinks served, for a perfect night of entertainment that the had the crowds in fits of laughter. Find out more about this talented funny-guy on www.nemrabounassar.com

Nemr Live Nemr Live

at Club 7at Club 7


Events

Hed Kandi

Hed Kandi

Ministry of Sound house sensation, Hed Kandi, returned to Bahrain for a long night of music, dancing & beach partying at the Coral Beach Club!


Events


Bahrain City Center hosted Red Bull Street Style; a competition aimed at finding the best free-style footballers in the world! The competition pitched a number of footballers against one another, showing off their skills in front of a large audience. The performance captivated the watchers as the competitors performed some stunning tricks and skills!

Events

RedBull Street RedBull Street

StyleStyle


The final phase of the lunar events for this year was

held on the 27th of the month. Sea taxis take you to Aldar Islands for a full

island experience; the ultimate beach

party with funky beats, cool atmosphere and even a quite corner of the island to chill at if you want to. The event lasted till the early hours of the morning and had people on their feet till the end.

Aldar Lunar PartyAldar Lunar Party

Events


Events


Craving a sweet dish? Well here’s something for a change; rather than go out there for your usual dosage of ice cream, chocolate, or whatever dessert usually fills your craving, how about trying some Bahraini offerings? Bahrain offers quite a number of sweet dishes, from it’s famed Halwa (a jelly-like warm dish made from Saffron, Cardamom, nuts and other goodies), to sweet samosas, rahash, and much more. Mainly made famous by Showaiter, a family who’ve had an extensive history in the Bahraini sweet-making business. You can find these traditional Bahraini desserts in most major super-markets and shopping malls, but your best bet to getting them fresh is to go down to one of the many Showaiter shops lined down Exhibition Road, or the Manama/Muharraq Souqs. The modern Showaiter shops now offer a full range of traditional sweets, as well as salty snacks, and even a teddy bear or two to round up that gift (although we would suggest teddy camels?). Make sure to get your fill just in time for Eid!

Tradition

Bahraini SweetsBahraini Sweets


We’re pretty big fans of Kenny Rogers down at the HalaBahrain offices; if you don’t already know, Roasters is a brand started almost two decades ago by Kenny Rogers (musician) and John Brown Jr. (original developer of Kentucky Fried Chicken). The food is simple; low fat, low salt oven-grilled chicken dishes, with a great selection of sides, and amazing muffins to boot! Obviously, we were excited to see the first branch of Kenny’s open up here, and rushed to get some tasty grilled chicken! Our first impression of the restaurant was good; nicely laid out and set up, with a welcome environment and friendly staff members. After being seated, we noticed the menu; what a limited selection! You can basically just get a quarter, half or full chicken, and choose a few sides to add! Bummer. We chose a selection, waited a while, and got the food. The chicken was good grilled chicken, but wasn’t really very different from the chicken you get in any regular Bahraini chicken restaurant for about a quarter of the price. The sides weren’t too great either; the mashed potatoes didn’t taste fresh, and the corn/carrots etc felt like frozen foods. Overall, a nice brand with nice presentation, but the food isn’t amazing. We’re hoping for a real turn around to let the real taste of the brand shine through, otherwise, there’s no competition between this and the street chicken roasters of Riffa! - Kenny Rogers Roasters can be found in Riffa, opposite the Sanad intersection.

Eating Out


Download NOW at

www . DJOutlaw . com


Ala GhawasAla Ghawas Continuing our initiative, along with Bahrain Talent, to shed some light on the musical talents of local artists, we speak to Ala Ghawas this month. Originally playing various instruments from just eight years old, Ala has developed his skill and talent, producing his very own fully-recorded album, Hums. Bringing a style different from what you regularly hear, Ala’s music portrays a various range of feelings and emotions. A fully acoustic set, not using the electric synthesizers and sounds that seem so popular in today's songs, gives his music a fresh sound. Currently working on his second record, we met up with Ala and asked him a few questions on his sound, inspiration, and thoughts on the music scene here.

Local Talent


Local Talent

- A cliché to start off with; tell us a little bit about you? (Laughing) “I’m a daydreamer who does advertising for a living and worships music” - Well, you have to earn a living! How and when did you get into the world of producing your own music? I decided that I was going to do this since the age of 14, but I just wasn’t ready to share my work with the world. Plus I was pretty busy being an “A” student all my life, which thinking back now, was a complete waste of time… Really! Also, I was pretty shy about my early writings. As you know, I’m an Arabian guy who writes and sings in English. My music is driven by lyrics, and since I don’t know what it’s going to sound like from the perspective of English speakers, it was kind of scary! But when I went to the United States (Boston) to study, I played music in lots of venues and coffee shops, busking at the subway stations some-times, and met lots of musicians who I shared my work with. As this happened, I saw my music being accepted everywhere I went, and most people even dubbed it as impressive, so I guess that’s when I gained confidence in my music and decided that it was about time for it to fly. - What defines you from other artists? I don’t know really, that’s kind of subjective, and I guess it’s up to the listeners to judge. - What inspires you to write your music? Umm, it’s certainly things that happened to me, personal

experiences; it always starts with something that I wanted to say, and fortunately I’m always able to translate those thoughts I had in mind musically. - Walk us through the process of writing one of your songs Oh man, I wish I know the answer to that myself! It’s magic, the words and music come along together, and when the song is done I can’t really remember which came first. For the most part it’s about that particular moment when you really feel something inside you, a voice inside that needs to be heard. I try hard to have more of those magical moments, but it’s not really up to me.


- Hums. Why the name? I think it represents the sound of that record; I was really humming those 5 tracks, I wasn’t singing! Plus, there’s a sad tonality to the act of humming, and that also represents the sound of the record. The main reason is that I’m planning to release a trilogy, where ‘Hums’ is just the first chapter; there will also be ‘Whispers’ and then ‘Screams’. As I go, the intensity of the music and subjects will go up; it’s the progress of my sound. - Listening to the lyrics in your first album gives off a sense of sadness, perhaps some sort of regret? Can you elaborate on that? It’s healing for the most part. My songs are like medicine to me, and I didn’t write them to entertain people or to become big and famous; I wrote them for myself and then decided to share them with the world. But yeah, speaking of sadness, I guess that’s the only kind of music I can offer. I’m always musically productive when I’m sad; I think that’s just me. Plus, I think sad experiences are more worthy than happy ones when it comes to translating them to art. - What aspect of making music excites you the most right now? Fusion, fusion, fusion. I don’t really think much about categorizing or classifying music now, whatever it is; it’s just music, a good tune is a good tune no matter what! I believe in the experimental kind of music, and that’s what thrills me the most; mixing different genres, different instruments, any thing different that serves the song. The song comes first, and I do whatever it takes to serve the song. - Your music is different than most of what is produced nowadays. Did you deliberately set out to create your own style or did it just emerge on its own? (Laughing) The best compliment I could ever get is having my music called different! I guess it’s natural, because I always venture into new styles; my music comes out different by itself.

- Do you play live, or just pre-record your music? I do play live and enjoy it very much, although I believe I still need to get better as a stage performer. I don’t do much of that now in Bahrain because I don’t have the right venues to perform in - What do you mean by the right venues? Well, my music is very mellow and laid back, and requires a very particular kind of setup, a very certain mood. It’s not the kind of music for all times and I know that.


Local Talent

- Live is probably a completely different experience. Is playing live something you relish more, say, than studio work? Of course, I think any musician will agree with me that playing live is always more exciting than studio work, because it’s the only time when you connect with people, move them, and get moved by them. You produced your first album in Boston, a city housing a strong community of independent musicians. How does that compare to your music’s acceptance here? I have ‘unexpectedly’ received good reviews about my first record, both in Boston and here in Bahrain. However, I feel that people in the States understand my music better, and it’s not just because of the language, it’s the music itself. How so? I think people over there can relate to my music more. They analyze my music, give very detailed comments, criticism, etc, and that’s what I don’t get here among the Bahraini crowd. We see that the independent musician scene in Bahrain obviously needs a lot of help, in terms of support and so on. What's your take on the music scene here? What can be done for it? I think Bahrain is full of amazing talents; I worked with a number of Bahraini musicians who have the potential to become world-class musicians, and I’m NOT exaggerating!

With regards to what should change in Bahrain, I think our country is too small to even think about exposure, or taking music as a career. All musicians should consider the world as their playground and stop looking at what’s happening in Bahrain, or what can happen. I’m sure most musicians would agree with me, so that’s not worrying me. What’s worrying me is the future here, which I think a lot should be done to prepare for; starting from the education system here in Bahrain that banned music classes from their curriculums, and then the old-fashioned media, which I think it needs to be revamped completely! Nonetheless, I think musicians should just keep making music, better and better music, and they will eventually shine. Good music can’t be hidden forever, I believe in that. Words of wisdom. It’s been great talking to you today; one quick last question, what does the future hold for Ala Ghawas?

Just a lot more music! To read more about Ala and listen to some of his music, take a look at his profile on

www.BahrainTalent.com

HalaBahrain Dec 2008

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Transcript of HalaBahrain Dec 2008