Omar Kamal makes his American debut at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
By: Omar Mansour / Arab America Contributing Writer
‘Frank Sinatra of the Middle-East’- the title bestowed upon Omar Kamal, the Palestinian singer/composer from Nablus who claims a rich variety in musical influences ranging from Sinatra to Mohammed Abdelwahab and Fayrouz. In this article, Kamal gets real about identity – his thoughts on his bestowed title, family, the realities of being a symbol, as well as staying grounded and focused in the music industry.
Kamal will make his American debut in New York City in the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Frank Sinatra of the Middle-East?
According to Kamal, this title was one bestowed upon him by someone else in the industry. It was an easy, catchy association. Speaking to Arab America, he breaks it down simply: “You’ve got this Palestinian guy who sings swing and jazz, and a lot of Sinatra songs, so here’s the Palestinian Sinatra”.
This narrowing down is not something new, with the famous example of Beirut being called the “Paris of the Middle-East” or Lebanon being associated with Switzerland. Everything is in relation to the West as a means of invoking beauty or even being worthy of sympathy. We saw this in the aftermath of the Beirut Port Explosion – “look at what has happened to the Paris of the Middle-East”, “Lebanon was Switzerland” etc. Beirut is Beirut and Lebanon is Lebanon.
In that same respect, Omar Kamal is Omar Kamal and his musical talents prove it. “There is no reason for anyone to another Sinatra or another Elvis, or anything else” he states. He makes sure to state that he is not above such associations, only that this association or title is a quick, easy one.
However, the title is not completely unfounded, he says, as he does sing that genre, and he does sing Sinatra. Sinatra was also a key factor in his interest in singing.
Fly Me to the Moon:
Omar Kamal was born in Occupied Nablus in Palestine. When he was 8 years old, the Second Intifada (Uprising), or the Al-Aqsa Intifida, against Israeli colonial rule began. Kamal spent copious amounts of time indoors turning to music for solace. Learning to play the piano gave Kamal a purpose, as well as providing comfort and escape. Kamal grew up in a music filled home – his mother, a classically trained vocalist, and his father, an avid music lover.
One day, Kamal heard a song and a voice that changed the trajectory of his life: Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”
“From there, it kind of developed into an obsession,” he says. “I think Frank Sinatra has got all credit for me going into singing.”
The connection is there, it is present, yet it is not defining. While he acknowledges the honor of being linked to Sinatra, Omar Kamal has his own sound, as well as other musical inspirations, many of whom are from the Arab world, such as Farouz, Mohammed Abdelwahab, the Rahbani Brothers and Ziad al-Rahbani.
The Dream World:
While Sinatra may have propelled his interest in singing, what was Kamal looking towards? As he tells Arab America, “I very young, very kind of dazzled by the world of entertainment. I wanted it all – not because of any fame or fortune, necessarily, but it was a nice dream world. And that’s what it is, it’s a dream world and there’s nothing wrong with living in that world for a little bit”.
In 2010, Kamal left Palestine for the UK to attend university and study engineering, a “very Arab” direction, he jokes. While earning his degree, Kamal kept the music going by attending festivals and leading his university’s Big Band. After returning home to Nablus in 2014, Sony Music Entertainment Middle East caught wind of Kamal and offered him a record deal. For over a year, Kamal worked with Sony to produce his first album, which brought a hit single “Love Never Felt So Good”, a romantic variation of the Michael Jackson hit. Kamal says that it was only at the moment of the record deal singing that music became official for him. He decided to stick with it and did not look back.
Even after graduation from his university and signing the deal, Kamal tells Arab America he was still asking himself the questions any person asks during a transitional period, “what do i do now, what am i after?”. Kamal says that at the time he still wanted that ‘dream world’. “The reason I say ‘wanted’ is because in order to grow as an artist, you, in my opinion, have to grow out of that. You have to search for something and you have to keep searching and find what really matters about what you do, [for] music or anything else”.
You start asking ‘why am I doing this? Am I doing this to deliver a message, to get lost in a dream world? Am I doing it to represent my country, or am I doing it for fame and fortune?’ All these questions start popping up in your head. For that reason you’re not entirely sure that fame or fortune or living in a dream world is a good enough reason, you know? This is why this is where the journey starts for an artist. It’s not when you signed the record deal, it’s when you start asking those questions and start searching.
Omar Kamal
Staying Grounded in the Face of the Machine:
What, then, is Omar’s answer? For Kamal, it is simple, “It’s what I want to do”. The love for what he does, being able to make music, these are the answers he decided upon. This is the way his life wants to go. Now, one may ask ‘what kind of an answer is that’? Kamal understands this and acknowledges himself it can lack meaning, yet the answer is important for other reasons.
Doing what you want to do, for the pure love of doing it is immensely important, Kamal tells Arab America. “Always remind yourself, because if you don’t, you end up doing it for the wrong reasons, you end up making wrong choices, and you get sucked into the entertainment machine. So it’s very important to ask yourself the questions and stay grounded all the time. Otherwise you go off track”.
It is this that allows his identity to find its way into his work. This is possible because Kamal’s reasoning for pursuing music is for the pure love of it. Your heritage and your background finds its way into whatever you do, he says, “But for that to happen, you need to be, again, a true artist. You need to have this free flowing process, not obstructed between your soul, your background or your art or whatever you want to say between your work. If you are stuck thinking too much about what’s going to sell then you kind of hinder that process a little bit because you’re putting obstacles [in front of you], but if you have that free flowing process, then it will find its way out”.
Being a Symbol:
One element that comes with being an international star is the concept of representing your country or heritage in your music or performances. Being from Palestine, this may looked at by some with even greater attention. Kamal tells Arab America, “Palestine becomes an identity, whether you like it or not because of the cause, of course. And also because of all the Palestinians that actually support you along the way, because they take pride pride. They love what you do, so they support you and they feel that connection.
This energy can charge one’s career, it can be the most beautiful of support, but it can be very stressful as well. Through his long support for Palestine through his music and performances, you, As Kamal puts it, “you aren’t just you anymore, you’re an idea. You become a symbol”
Part of being this symbol means the expectation to utilize your platform for an idea, all the time, in the perfect way. This can be very heavy on an artist. “You will eventually disappoint”. says Kamal. Omar, of course, uses his platform, but he also needs to be Omar and not just a symbol. It is this balance that goes into grounding oneself, according to Kamal.
Kamal doesn’t leave anything behind, he doesn’t avoid anything about his identity and it finds its way into his work. He sings a number of beautiful songs in Arabic, he draws from Arab legends, he lends himself to the Palestinian cause through his music, through his performances, and he does include an element of Arab Nationalism, but it is now why he started music. In fact, he has played more live shows in the Arab world than anywhere else!
Omar Kamal’s U.S. Debut:
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic dampening plans for an international tour, Kamal remained hopeful for future opportunities, including engagements in the United States. Although the disruption was tedious, Kamal remained productive throughout quarantine, choosing to record new material in London during the unprecedented downtime. He released his rendition of Ahmad Kaabour’s masterpiece, “Ya Rayeh Sawb Bladi.” The recording stands as a testament to Kamal’s enduring sentimentality for his homeland.
This year, Kamal’s hopes of engagements in the United States will finally happen, with his U.S. debut in New York on Monday, October 18th, 7:00 PM
This is a can’t miss show. Omar Kamal’s sound is required listening. His voice that transcends borders and decades. His honest, pure power and capacity for connection is the same genius that has defined the career of the greatest singing legends – influences felt in his eclectic catalogue and captivating performances from Sinatra’s jazz and swing to timeless Arab idols like Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Fairouz. Kamal brings together stunning repertoires and emotional hits for incredible performances.
For more information and tickets, click here. Get them while you can! Tickets are $55 for the concert and $175 for the concert and VIP reception.
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