One of the things I love about my Twitter community is the ways folks surprise me. +Aziz is a great example of that.
I know +Aziz as a cultural strategist. With his roots in Kuwait, he’s been paying the bills by helping organizations understand the Arabian Penninsula and the wider MENA region. In fact, he’s worked with various agencies and think tanks including Peter Mayer, Grey Worldwide (ad agencies), PSFK (trends and innovations blog), Edelman (PR agency), FATHOM+HATCH (brand strategy consultancy), and Delma Institute (UAE-based think tank).
A fellow traveler, right?
But come to find out, the guy’s also a songwriter! Case in point: This song was released on June 17, the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month and is taken from his new album Soho Spirit. Currently a resident of New Orleans, he mentioned that the song is inspired by the feeling of fasting alone and being disconnected from loved ones. In that way, it’s an ode to anyone who’s found themselves celebrating holidays away from friends and family.
+Aziz took frequent trips to the his native Khaleej region in Kuwait while recording Soho Spirit, on which he sings in formal Arabic, Kuwaiti dialect, as well as English. The album mixes southern folk-inspired alternative rock guitar sounds against a backdrop of contemporary Middle Eastern percussion and beats.
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