Talented artists are all around the world, but a lot of them live within this beautiful country. Whether you’re a poet, musician, photographer, or any other creative, 28-year-old Ghazi Al Balushi has a platform for you — Just Jam Sessions. We caught up with Ghazi himself, along with two incredible artists – Taher Majid and Abdullah Al Kindi, both of whom are regular performers at Just Jam Sessions, to give you a more exclusive story on the music scene in Oman, their own journey, and the platform they have been provided.
Ghazi, a singer-songwriter, who by profession works in digital marketing as a creative consultant was always inclined towards the arts from a young age. After studying visual arts, drama, and theatre during his early years of schooling, Ghazi only ventured into music through poetry. At the young age of 13, he picked up the guitar and worked on combining music with poetry, by 15 his journey as a songwriter began! Just Jam Sessions was unexpectedly on the horizon and was created in 2016 out of personal interest. “When I first started performing live to an audience in 2014, I had the privilege of jumping through opportunities. However, I’m a people’s person; the more I jammed with other musicians, the more I wanted to do it again,” he says. However, there was more than just that, Ghazi had an experience with Red Bull Music’s Bass Camp where he was one of the 20 musicians that were picked to be part of a musician’s retreat. “They take 20 musicians from the region, put them at the right place at the right time, free of any distractions, and you just make music,” Ghazi explained. Adding further, he said, “Although I jammed with many musicians in Oman, I’ve never had an experience such as the Bass Camp, and that’s when I knew I wanted something similar for us locally.”
Multi-talented artist Taher Majid is a consistent performer at Just Jam Sessions. Some of his talents include being a graffiti artists, composer, DJ, and producer. “Initially I started as a House DJ especially funky house, but gradually moved towards other genres of music, Taher tells us. “Music for me is not necessarily a passion but it’s something I understand and appreciate, and am always looking to be around,” he adds.
Talking about Just Jam Sessions and what attracted him most about the platform, he was quick to mention, “the community, the musicians, and the growth of the platform together with the artists.” He explains, “The platform has been and continues to grow always, and all of us artists are friends or acquainted somehow.”
A librarian by profession and a singer by passion, our next artist Abdullah Al Kindi, has been singing publicly since 2005. Discovering his potential for music from a young age, Abdullah tells us, “I always used to sing Disney songs such as those from Lion King, although my voice wasn’t developed much, I knew I had potential. When I was a bit older, I was told by family and friends that I can sing and that’s when I realised that I can actually do this. From then on, I’ve been working consistently on my singing.”
Abdullah’s journey with Just Jam Sessions started unexpectedly when a friend took him to an event and put him on the spot. Previously, Abdullah had taken a step back from the music scene as he felt there wasn’t any point in trying to perform. “A friend of mine brought me to one of the sessions and told me go ahead, it’s your time. I was hesitant at first, but he just took me on stage and began playing a song that I liked singing. That was my breakthrough moment in the Just Jam Sessions collective. When I saw the excitement of the crowd, I knew I was in the right place,” says Abdullah.
“Artists face a lot of struggles when it comes to showcasing their talents. In a country like Oman where the music scene is slowly developing, some artists needed to step up and cross certain hurdles to kick start the development process.” Ghazi explains, “In a country such as ours, the taste palette is very limited. If it does not sound like something on the radio, something mainstream, then it isn’t widely accepted. Highlighting his own experience, he adds, “I initially had a different style of singing, a different tone of voice, where I would whisper and sing, but people would often think I’m using a fake voice, or ask me questions like why I would not use my talking voice. Although I eventually learnt to expand my vocal skills and explore different singing styles, I believe that the taste palette and understanding of musical diversity is very limited in Oman and that is an issue till today.”
Taher, on the other hand, spoke about the challenges he faced as a budding DJ, he emphasised two things, audience’s preference, and finding gigs to perform at. “When I initially started, people weren’t into house music. RnB, Hip-hop, and Afrobeat were the three most dominant genres of music at the time, so being a House DJ, I was definitely not the DJ of choice. Finding venues that provided gigs and want you to play was a big challenge.”
Abdullah deep dove into a few more challenges “Well, there were many obstacles that stood in my way and some still do. First, there wasn’t a real platform to practice music. All we could do is just sit together by the beach or in the neighbourhood, grab a guitar, and sing. Secondly, it wasn’t that accepted in the community and family. We would have a lot of people condemning our practice; even the way you are perceived in the community as a musician made a lot of us refrain from blooming.”
Breaking through all barriers along their path, these artists have come a long way with their journeys. Talking more about Just Jam Sessions as a platform and how it has influenced their choices as artists, Taher says, “The platform influenced my way of approaching music. It also gave me a lot to learn. When you look at someone perform and feel like you lack something, you can always reach out to the person and improve on your skills or collaborate with them. It’s a community that vouches for you.” Abdullah emphasised on a more personal realisation relating to his passion, he highlights, “It made me more open to singing in front of the crowd. It made me find my voice and what suits me best. Although I knew what type of music suits me but, the platform gave me certainty and confidence about my choices.”
Taking loans to start the venture and a year of hard-work and dedication before reaching a breakeven point, Ghazi put in a lot of his time and effort into this project that brought about joy to so many artists. “After the breakeven point, there was finally a small profit generated that would feed the project to grow. Although initially I started this alone, it isn’t a one man show. Whether it was the quality of content or pitching in with responsibilities, different artists came together and played their part. Whenever money came in, it was shared with those that helped whenever we could, but a lot of our work is voluntary based.”
In the initial stages, Ghazi fully wanted to dedicate his time and energy to the project. Taking a major risk personally, he worked to get Just Jam Sessions up and running. “The biggest challenge was when I quit my job around four or five years back to take on this project, but it was absolutely worth it.”
Talking about the current situation, Ghazi explained that the pandemic has hit them hard. Just Jam Sessions conducted events regularly and their biggest selling point was the intimacy in performances. But the current pandemic leaves no room for getting together and performing. “Just Jam Sessions works by breaking the stranger barrier. Our layout was always different; get rid of the tables and chairs, put down carpets, throw on some cushions, dim the lights and throw in some twinkly lights.” Just Jam Sessions, he adds “Is more about the environment created and less about the poetry and music, but that experience is rewarding for both the performers and the audiences.”
On being asked if things would be the same at the platform when the pandemic is over, Abdullah comments, “The only difference we might face is maybe a bit of a stage fright since it’s been a while since we have sung on stage. On the other hand, positively, we might have a bigger crowd since a lot of people would want to be out after being locked in for a long time. In addition, we also might have more performers, people who found themselves while being locked down and would like to show their talent to the public.” Similarly, Taher shares, “I hope they are not the same, I really hope they are better. With everything that has happened, change must come with it, a lot of ideas will be outdated, rules might change, we just need to be ready for the new normal.”
The artists are all keen for life after COVID. As for the advice they would want to give other artists who are feeling low or trying to make their dreams a reality, Ghazi says, “Push your limits don’t stick to what’s comfortable, and keep trying.” “Work, Practice, Learn and Grow” that’s Abdullah’s motto. Networking is key too, but you have to prove that you are ready for the spotlight and you will reach out to the right people to help you rise to your dreams.” Taher encourages young artists to “never give up.” He explains, “it’s not hard to be an artist, but it’s difficult to keep trying when there is no demand. However, continue to try but don’t force yourself, and never quit.”
Being accepted and loved within the creative community of Just Jam Sessions is not difficult. “I felt welcomed by the organisers, the other artists and the crowd instantly. It was a great source of support for me, and I knew the stage is my happy place,” claims Abdullah. Taher highlights the importance of this platform; “Just Jam Sessions provides recognition, opportunities, a safe space, and a room for growth.” For all those who want to give a shot at their creativity, and need a platform, Ghazi says, “Don’t wait. You don’t need someone to hand you an opportunity, you can make it yourself. As for Just Jam Sessions, there’s nothing to join, just show up and pick a role to play.”