An acoustic guitarist and singer who writes lyrics about murdering her lover; a poet /businesswoman; and a band who ve never written any songs before. Along with a caricature artist, the three may have nothing in common, but they share one thing: They re the stars of Ethos coffee shop s first talent show.
Apart from the progressive Jazz band Zeroking Spaced, this is the first public performance by singer Sarah Abd El Razak, poet Dalia El Abd and artist Dalia Michel.
Abd El Razak s story is probably the most peculiar of the bunch. Quirky, eccentric and incredibly funny, the former political science student decided, after four years of studying, to switch to art.
I always hated political science but I wanted to be a writer and people told me that I need political science for my writing to have substance, Abd El Razak said.
When she eventually got too distressed with examining war and genocide she decided to practically throw those four years away and get a fresh start.
Abd El Razak s music can be described as alternative acoustic that leans more towards the straightforward, accessible American style than the deeply introspective, mostly experimental British one. Canadian songwriter Sarah McLachlan, Irish Rock group The Cranberries, Alternative Rock band Weezer and the Belgian Folk-Rock duo K s Choice are the musicians Abd El Razak cited as her biggest influences.
Abd El Razak occasionally played with her friends, wrote numerous songs on her guitar but never considered going further beyond the walls of her room until a friend of hers signed her up for the Ethos talent show event.
Ethos fans were treated to a small glimpse of her performance last Sunday in a small, intimate setting that saw her perform about eight numbers ranging from covers by Weezer, K s Choice and Bob Dylan to her own endearing and highly idiosyncratic material.
Abd El Razak s own music treads a thin line between heartwarming and charming and sarcastically angry; a blend between a soft Alanis Morissette and Tenacious D s outlandish lyrics.
You should make fun of your pain, Abd El Razak said before launching into Better Things which contains lines like I m meant for better things, like stabbing myself in the eye. Despite the inherent morbidity of those lyrics, they perfectly fit with the young singer s cynical attitude to life.
A fine performer, Abd El Razak talks to the audience about her love life, explains how her Hip Hop fan brother dislikes her music and tries to persuade everyone that her self-described squeaky voice is, nevertheless, better than Mr. Dylan’s. Her talent isn t solely confined to her music – her distinctive showmanship certainly sets her apart.
Ahmed El Sheikh, lead singer of Zeroking Spaced, couldn t be more different than Abd El Razak. He describes his music as improvised rock, stressing the fact that his recently reformed band has neither written a traditional studio song nor stuck to a fixed song-list for their concerts. Instead, the band would come up with different sound concepts and a set of emotions with every gig.
The 32-year-old El Sheikh is a marketing director at an ad agency. El Shiekh s passion for music started at an early age and he was quickly drawn to the flourishing Egyptian heavy-metal scene of the 90s. He soon diverted his attention to acoustic music that enabled him to grasp the immense beauty of a simple melody.
El Sheikh went through a difficult phase where he became a semi religious fanatic and, as a consequence, destroyed his guitar and music albums. But then his passion for music ultimately prevailed and he returned to the studio, jamming with a bunch of friends.
I was bored of everything, couldn t find any meaning in anything, El Sheikh said. That s why I turned to music. I loved the meaningfulness of it all.
After playing with plenty of musicians and experimenting with different sounds, El Sheikh formed Zeroking Spaced two years ago and quickly, the band landed deals in Sawy Culture Center, Camel Bar in Sharm El Sheikh and Sakkara.
Zeroking never play any covers. Their music, El Sheikh explains, is about expressing ourselves and trying to create original compositions.
Although El Sheikh names Pink Floyd and Camel as his idols, the band s music closely resembles the tender aching melodies of the late English folk singer Nick Drake. The only two songs he wrote, one for his old and only lover and the other for his daughter whom he hasn t seen for some years, brim with heartbreaking, almost mournful melancholy.
As for El Abd, the research marketing manager of a major corporation, poetry, for her, is a vehicle through which she can travel anywhere she wishes.
When I write, I feel as if I can travel anywhere, El Abd said. It gives me a lot of freedom. I can travel as a fish, a leaf; I can fly, write as if I m a star and express what it feels like.
El Abd s love for poetry started at age 12 after reading Shakespeare and Wordsworth. Her early poems were actually song lyrics. Later she delved into poetry about various subjects like politics, discrimination and love, until she became fixated on the free-form style inspired by nature and baroque poetry.
El Abd denies that her dreamy poet persona contradicts with the nature of her work that s essentially rooted in reality. I d like to think I m both, she smiled. I m the sophisticated businesswoman of today, and the hopeless romantic girl.
None of the three artists are looking for fame or expect it.
For them, art is an activity that brings unconditional happiness.
El Sheikh also believes that their vocation can, and should, play an important role. We don t have culture anymore, he said. But I feel that art could build a common culture between all fragmented social classes, to reflect the reality of Egypt and ourselves.
Ethos’ first talent show will take place on Sunday 15 at 6 pm.
Address: 23 Rd 205 off Degla Sq, Degla, Maadi.
For information, please call 010 005 3612.
