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SURRENDERING TO WHATEVER'S HAPPENING AT THE MOMENT: TAMINO

WORDS BY GRACE POWELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORRE JANSSENS

Belgian-Egyptian musician TAMINO-AMIR MOHARAM FOUAD (aka Tamino) is the singer-songwriter pulling on our heartstrings. Grandson to renowned movie star MUHARRAM FOUAD, Tamino has had stardom in his veins from the very beginning. Trained at the AMSTERDAM ROYAL CONSERVATORY, and having seen his first glimpse of fame with the 2017 release, Habibi, the artist has since been heard on stages around Europe. It was the release of his 2018 album, Amir, which made the world stop, listen and reflect as he hypnotised us all with tracks such as Indigo Night and goddess of nature, Persephone. After what felt like a prolonged hiatus — not so much as a cheeky Insta’ story — this year Tamino is back with his sophomore album, Sahar. Glamcult spoke with Tamino after the release of his first album, so why not make a tradition of it? From the flawless sounds of the Oud, the sight of a flamingo stuck in the mud, to his early days studying classical piano — we cover a lot from the backseat of a car en route to his Glamcult shoot in the depths of BELGIUM.

Gc: Hi Tamino. How’s it going? 

T: I’m good thank you — ready for my Glamcult shoot, so you know all about my day! The location is crazy, I didn’t even know this existed in Belgium. 

Gc: Yes, I’m the anonymous producer of your day, ha-ha. It’s going to be great. To start, could you tell us a bit about your musical beginnings?

T: Of course. So, if I go to the very beginning, I started with piano when I was around ten or eleven years old. It was my mum, actually, who proposed it, as she saw that I had a fascination for music. My mum also played classical piano, so it was a logical move for both myself and her. However, I didn’t last very long…

Gc: Logical — but less sustainable?

T: Honestly, I stopped because I didn’t have the patience to study the classical pieces to perfection. Because of this, I then decided to take a break from music for about a year before I started going back to the piano again. This time, I returned with a different mindset and I started to play freely; choosing my own chords and writing my own songs. This began when I was around fourteen.

Gc: So, no emo phase?

T: I did play in a couple of bands before finally performing solo at around seventeen.

Gc: I like this idea of beginning rigidly, and within that rigidity finding your draw to fluidity. Do you still feel like you need this freedom in music today as you did as a child?

T: I always pursue freedom in sound. Even though I love classical music (both listening to it and going to concerts) — and of course, I have admiration for those who are able to learn a piece to perfection. However, it just wasn’t for me as it was always someone else’s latest.

Gc: You recently released the single (and video) Fascination, one of the first tracks from your latest album, Sahar. What inspired this song?

T: Like most of my songs, it all began with noodling on the guitar. I usually begin by humming a melody before finding the words. For this song, however, the words came with the melody. There is this one specific anecdote within this song — “I didn’t cry for that flamingo stuck in the salt. Didn’t care for it at all, While you couldn’t hold your tears, Your fascination’s always fascinated me.” This came from watching BBC Planet with my significant other. It was about how our different reactions to the same scene caused inspiration.

Gc: So, it can really come from anywhere… Any other unusual inspiration points?

T: It’s so difficult to pinpoint! Often it’s less specific than this case. That’s the beautiful thing about songwriting. Often you don’t know how it happens — which is strange in itself. Even though you can sharpen your tools through practice, you still never know what’s going to happen.

Gc: It’s a never-ending journey…

T: Exactly. I feel like when it comes to songwriting, it’s very hard to become a master of your craft.

Gc: However, sonically — do certain genres inspire you? For example, there are many clear Arabic references, alongside folk music and jazz within your work.

T: The influences are for sure there. I love Arabic music.

Gc: Has living in Antwerp influenced your sound at all?

T: It has of course influenced me; however, I wouldn’t know precisely how. Antwerp is a cool place, but I think it’s time to spend some time elsewhere. Although, I’m going on tour soon — so it’s out of the question at the moment. 

Gc: A lot of artists I speak to describe the act of music creation as occuring subconsciously. Do you have the same experience?

T: Yes and no. It’s still me writing, but I can relate to this.

Gc: Your first release from the album, the aptly named The First Disciple, broke your online silence. Why did you pick this song as your reintroduction?

T: This song sits at the heart of the album… It’s also the longest song on the album (a side note, but still cool). Sonically, The First Disciple represents some new sounds I experimented with on this album. The combination of the nylon-string classical guitar with the nylon-string oud was super important to me. Lyrically, this song is also improtant to me.

Gc: Throughout the whole album your sound is far more complex than your previous work. Did this change in sound bring up any nervousness?

T: No, not really. I would have only felt nervous if I wasn't happy with the album.

Gc: That's the truly worst-case scenario.

T: But I'm super happy with the album, and stand fully behind it so I don’t have nerves.

Gc: As you should be. Before the release, you had a social media blackout — why?

T: I feel like when I'm not releasing new music, I have nothing to say. Social media is a HUGE distraction. Those apps are designed for you to become addicted. | know myself; if it's on my phone I will look at it at least three times a day. It was extremely liberating to not have Instagram on my phone for two years, it allowed me to be bored. Boredom is very important for the creative process,

which was the main reason why I didn't have it on my phone.

Gc: It’s kind of insane how today boredom has to be sought after. It’s a hard road to take.

T: It's true. You have to choose boredom, instead of just letting it happen the way it would in the past. lt's a conscious decision to not go on your phone, scroll through Instagram and so forth. We need to let things be as they are.

Gc: You're going on tour. How are you feeling about that?

T: On tour, you're everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It's not real life. However, playing live feels special. It's cliché, but I love playing for people that appreciate your music and the fact that you're sharing something with a group. Sometimes it feels like a transfer of energy. This transfer is healing.

Gc: Music certainly has healing properties. Presumable creating, performing and so forth is your safe space?

T: Performing to such a huge amount of people, you all feel open. You're all surrendering to whatever's happening in the moment. It connects to what we were saying earlier about

distractions. When performing, these distractions are not there, I'm fully in the moment. This moment is then something you can share with so many people. In this space there's room for emotion, there's room for everything to just exist. It feels both healing and freeing. It's the best high there is.

Gc: We're so excited about the launch of Sahar. What do you hope for your audience to feel from the album?

T: Honestly, whatever they want. I really have no say in that.

Gc: Do you feel a separation from your work once it’s released? Like it’s no longer yours?

T: A bit, I see the music as just as much mine as I do the listeners. Of course, I have my interpretations, thoughts, beliefs. I also have hopes for the listener's ability to read into the lyrics or hear about the songs. But in the end, | have no say.

Gc: And finally (and potentially, most importantly) what have you taken away from the album?