[twitter style=”vertical” float=”left”] [fbshare type=”button”] [google_plusone size=”standard” annotation=”none” language=”English (UK)”] Claude Monet was a famous French painter whose work gave a name to the art movement Impressionism which was concerned with capturing light and natural forms. As one of the most famous painters in the history of art his works can be seen in museums around the world.
After an art exhibition in 1874, a critic insultingly dubbed Monet’s painting style “Impression,” since it was more concerned with form and light than realism, and that term stuck.
In 2012 we discover Zayed Hassan, a versatile artist also known for his photographical, poetical and cinematographical skills. Zayed’s musical creativity like Monet, is also “more concerned with form and light than realism”. As opposed to Monet’s then Impressionism, Zayed’s musical form is today known as Worldbeat.
Worldbeat is often described to as a genre that primarily refers to a blending of Western pop music with traditional or folk influences. It is a category that boasts a cross pollination of contemporary and roots genres, with suggestive rhythms and harmonic or textual contrast between it’s modern and ethnic elements.
Zayed Hassan, born on the 6th of December and son of a prominent Bangladesh businessman, strides across this global fusion genre, manifesting his personal blend of ethnic tradition and western electronic music.
It is hard to believe that such a creative soul would also have the time to complete an associate bachelor’s in industrial marketing, as well as be working on his bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“Riddles In The Lights and Shadows” is his latest musical work and should be officially released, later this year during the month of July, Zayed Hassan told us.
Jamsphere Magazine has had the privilege of previewing some of the tracks to be included on this album.
As was obvious, we dived straight into the title track because of it’s curious title. The song is very reminiscent of works by one of New Age music’s best known artists – Karunesh. Riddles in the lights and shadows is a moderate uptempo piano dominated track, with lusciously layered atmospheric synthesizer sounds and pulsating percussion rhythms that takes your spirit on an uplifting voyage through your inner-self.
Integrity was the second track we listened to. This song is beautifully driven by an acoustic guitar track played alongside a keyboard counter rhythm, while an upright piano and whistle drive the melody straight across the song. A steady drumbeat and percussion section make sure that your heart is beating in time to your spirit. In a word – uplifting.
Stereo Shadow would certainly not be out of place in the best dance halls in your neighborhood. Here Zayed digs in real deep letting his creative genius loose on this upbeat track. Imagine Karunesh meets David Guetta. Zayed goes one step further than just the electronic dance ditty. He throws in an almost sarcastic sounding harmonica interlude…a touch of class.
Road to Salvation was almost unanimously chosen as our favorite song on the album. But that obviously is due to the Jamsphere bias towards guitar based music. If this track had a lead vocal it would almost certainly be Bruce Hornsby doing the number. The music is very Hornsby sounding. Laid back but driving piano rhythms with a nice easy guitar backdrop that slides in and out during the song, while the drums oscillate between snare, toms and cymbals.
We could go on and on describing the magnificent rhythms and atmospheric arrangements that lay within the other tracks, but we would spoil the surprise. You only have to wait a few more months before you can get your hands on this expression of Worldbeat music.
Zayed Hassan is an eclectic artist who never stays within any creative boundaries. He explores rhythms, textures, voices, sounds and space with indelible insistence.
And in the true spirit of the impressionist artist Claude Monet, on his latest album Zayed Hassan, is “concerned with form and light.” But he doesn’t stop there, he is also committed to social issues. He says he will donate revenue from the album sales, amongst the people in the world who live below the poverty line. Firmly believing in a world of co-operation and love to beat life’s adversities. And if that’s not a reason enough to buy the new album then we don’t know what is.
Zayed also prides himself on his first music collaboration. Currently he is working on a single release with Pewee in the Garage who wrote the lyrics and does the vocals on the song, The Music That I Love, soon to be released on iTunes.
Zayed confesses that he did the collaboration with Peewee only because, “She is awesome!”
To connect with Zayed follow these links:
His homepage – http://www.zayedh.com/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/zusician
LISTEN TO ZAYED HASSAN’S RIDDLES IN THE LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
[soundcloud params=”auto_play=true&show_comments=false”]http://soundcloud.com/zmusician/sets/project-ritlas[/soundcloud]
One Comment
Pearl Keary
Thanks for sharing and all the best, Zayed!