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 Mohamed Al Awadhi« back The Wild Peeta co-creator has always been an avid fan of technology an... Tue, 17 Jan 2012 |  Nadim Jamal« back Dynamic and lively, Nadim Jamal, embodies the spirit of a rock band fr... Mon, 16 Jan 2012 |
 Alia Lootah« back As an up and coming artist, Alia’s signature style, which marries the ... Sun, 08 Jan 2012 |  Zaina Shreidi« back As an inspired and a driven entrepreneur – Zeina, and through her work... Sun, 08 Jan 2012 |
 Shaima Al-Tamimi« back Through her blog and photos, Shaima presents a special look into the m... Sun, 01 Jan 2012 |  Hamdan Al Abri« back Hamdan started his music career with Dubai-based jazz/solo outfit Abr... Sat, 31 Dec 2011 |
 FujiFilm Finepix X10Our ‘Creators without Compromise’ have been out and about snapping photos all ... Thu, 29 Dec 2011 |  FujiFilm Finepix X100Our ‘Creators without Compromise’ have been out and about snapping photos all ... Thu, 29 Dec 2011 |
Hamdan started his music career with Dubai-based jazz/solo outfit Abri, from there he went on to become one of the local music scene’s torch-holders. With the release of his solo-project, Hamdan is set to take the Dubai music scene with a storm of originality. It was Hamdan's unique approach that lead us to ask him to be part of our "creators without compromise" series with Fujifilm.
See below to learn more about Hamdan Al Abri's uncompromising creativity and to view amazing images from one of Hamdan's gigs captured with the FujiFilm Finepix X10.
Following the release of his solo project and the initial successes that followed – Hamdan speaks of his future plans “I’m pretty happy with the response I’ve been receiving for my EP. People seem to love the sound and direction. And as I work on my first proper full-length solo-album, I’ll be keeping the same sound but I’m looking to incorporate more live instrumentation with the electronic undertones – just as we did in our opening gig for Sade last December.” Says Hamdan
“I was talking to a friend of mine at the beginning of 2011 – about which artists we’d love to see perform in the UAE, and we actually mentioned Sade, whom I’ve been a huge fan of for years. Then the organizers (Flash) contacted us to come and perform in the opening slot. That was definitely a crowning moment in 2011 for me!” And he adds “To see her perform and to be the opening band on the last gig of her world tour was amazing. She even said we had one of the best opening performances on her tour! Having all that happen a couple of months after releasing my EP proved to me that I’m going in the right direction.”
“Being born in Dubai, I know how it was back in the day. So, I know that there’s more to the city than the superficial projection of it. All in all, I’m inspired by life and not where I live.” And as for his insights on the music scene “I love that the music scene here is so small, everyone knows everyone. And I’m proud of the way it’s been growing at a fast pace. So I am getting inspired by other artists in Dubai doing what they’re passionate about (such as Noush Like Sploosh and Gayathri).”
How does Hamdan keep his perspective on music fresh and renewed? “I like to challenge myself and I surround myself with like-minded people. Yasser Anderson (producer/co-writer on the EP) always pushes me to think outside of the box, and as we’re both into the same kind of sound – it works perfectly.”
Check out Hamdan’s photos below for a close-up look into what makes his world go ‘round. These photos are from his recent concert as the opening act for UK international star singer Sade in Abu Dhabi in December 2011.
All photos taken with the Fujifilm Finepix X10 camera.
