Ala Ghawas EPK (English)

Ala Ghawas

From his memorable English debut in Boston as a Bahraini Fulbright scholar in 2007 to his remarkable homecoming fifteen years later with the release of his first album in Arabic, Ala Ghawas has built an extraordinary music career that resonates deeply with a generation of millennials in Bahrain as they navigate adulthood and complex identities.

Aside from the dilemma of language, the tension between East and West has been evident in Ghawas' music itself. His works seamlessly blend traditional Arabic influences, drawing inspiration from iconic artists like Fairouz and Khaled Al Sheikh, with Western rock songwriting masters such as Jackson Browne and Jeff Buckley. This fusion is underscored by evocative, literate lyrics that oscillate between pessimism and provocation, yet remain consistently compelling.

Regarded as one of Bahrain's most influential artists of his generation, Ghawas has headlined every major music festival in Bahrain and produced five studio albums over fifteen years. In 2021, he returned with his most successful album yet, "(بروفة موت) A Death Rehearsal," marking a significant milestone as his first-ever album released in Arabic.

Biography

Born in Bahrain on July 22nd, 1981.

Recorded and released his debut EP, "Hums", in 2007 during his time in Boston as a Fulbright Scholar. The release was received positively by the Bahraini media upon his return and then followed by another two critically acclaimed EPs, "Whispers" in 2008 and "Screams" in 2009. After a series of performances in music festivals following his first three EPs, on 19 November 2009, Ghawas performed his first solo concert at the prestigious hall of Shaikh Ebrahim Center in Muharraq. The recordings from the concert were released digitally later in 2011 on iTunes as a live album entitled "Ala Ghawas: Live from Muharraq" and it contains live renditions from Hums.

Starting 2011, he spent almost three years writing new songs for his debut LP, "Armor", and partnered with the Bahraini band, ‘Likwid’, for the recording of these songs. He also collaborated with Bahraini composer Mohammed Haddad for arranging live strings sections in 4 songs. The album was released in November 2013. After the release of Armor, the partnership between Ala Ghawas and Likwid took more adventurous grounds with a series of live performances to promote the album in Bahrain, Dubai and Cairo. Later in 2015, Ghawas invited Likwid to record and film a live concert and a documentary at his house and called it "Ala Ghawas & Likwid: Live from Allston". Ghawas named his house "Allston" honoring the small town in the city of Boston where he used to live in 2006 and 2007. The film was produced and directed by Bahraini filmmaker 'Saleh Nass'.

Ghawas' 5th studio album is entitled "Tryst" and was released in November 2017. The album was written and produced by Ghawas himself and engineered by Abdulla Jamal for recording/mixing the album. Ghawas had also collaborated with Bahraini artist Abbas Almosawi to paint the cover artwork of the album. In 2019, Ghawas filmed and recorded his third live album entitled "Ala Ghawas: Live from Grace" and it featured performances from his friends and frequent collaborators Ahmed Alqasim, Fawaz Alshaikh, Ali Alqaseer, Abdulla Haji, Isa Najem, Eman Haddad and Hassan Haddad. The album contained 12 original renditions of songs written by Ala Ghawas from his previous studio releases.

During Covid 19, Ghawas surprised his fanbase with a series of social media posts showcasing his interest in rediscovering one of his childhood heroes, Bahraini renowned musician and singer Khaled El Sheikh. The interest became prominent when Ghawas officially covered and released one of Khaled's most loved songs "A Safe Place for Love". On 24 November 2021, Ghawas released his 6th studio album and the first ever in Arabic, entitled "A Death Rehearsal". The album is highly regarded as the most significant accomplishment of his music career. "A Death Rehearsal" was written by Ala Ghawas and co-produced by Bahraini musician, Isa Najem. On 21 February 2022, he was invited by the Bahraini Authority for Culture & Antiquities to perform a concert at the prestigious Spring of Culture festival. The concert was received well and later released as a live album "Ala Ghawas: Live from Spring of Culture".