Biography
Over the past two decades, Mamdouh Saif has been one of the formidable force in the world of Arabic music, creating timeless musical masterpieces. He has collaborated with some of the world's most established people of the Arabian Gulf music scene, most notably Abdulmajeed Abdulla and Mohammed Abdu.
Some of Mamdouh's finest and most known work includes the albums Ya Taib Algalb (1996) and Harmony (2014). The former album gave Mamdooh his first big break into the music industry. It didn't take long for the Saudi composer from Makkah to make a big name for himself through his artworks. He had no big interest in appearing on the media believing his works speak for themselves, yet he has got some media attention through some TV channels like Alarabia TV, MBC TV, and many Arabic radio stations, newspapers and magazines. Mamdooh also became a hugely sought-after person to work with, whether it be for his skills as a composer/arranger. Mamdooh performed as a pianist/keyboardist at hundreds of concerts in front of thousands of people.
Mamdouh's longest and most successful musical partnership was with famous singer Abdulmajeed Abdulla. It began back in 1990 when Mamdouh started out as the singer's keyboard player. In 1994, Mamdouh began to compose for him, too. He also took on the roles of producer, artistic supervisor, and music consultant for all of his albums. This fruitful partnership lasted until 2006. Mamdouh still continues to play keyboard and conduct on certain projects.
The seeds of change were planted when Mamdouh visited India in 2005. While he was there, he began to learn the ancient rituals of knowledge. He also practiced meditation, Tai Chi, and the wisdom of art. He started to see life in a totally different way. Mamdouh believes this was a huge spiritual awakening that changed him as a person, thus becoming reborn.
When Mamdouh returned home, he composed for Abdulmajeed a little while longer but soon realized he needed to pursue his true life's purpose. Mamdouh then made the huge decision to take time out of professional composing to embrace what he had experienced. This time out lasted for almost eight years. He describes it as an enlightenment journey. During this time, Mamdouh continued to build on what he learned from his revelations in the eastern lands. He also furthered his musical studies at the world-famous Berklee College of Music in the United States.
Mamdouh now lives his life believing in the concept of here and now. His revolutionary way of thinking has helped him find a musical direction with substance. When looking back at his previous work, Mamdouh recalls that although the fame and recognition were fun, he always knew in his heart that there was something missing.
Mamdouh's mission is now to spread beauty, consciousness, and the reality of peace to the world through his music. His creativity currently lies within the realms of New Age music, mixed with concepts of spirituality. However, one of Mamdouh's new strategies is to add subtle touches of a different style or instrument, giving the track a whole new identity. So when listening to his music pieces, you may feel a little taste of the East and the other from the west, or you may live in some of the colors of his Middle Eastern area then you realize he blended these diverse cultures that gathered in his music. This is one of many fine ingredients in Mamdouh's secret recipe.
Since composing Harmony in 2014, Mamdouh has embarked on his first musical work as a fully reborn artist. The music is inspired by his spiritual discoveries and everything he now believes in. He has composed the album in conjunction with a compelling Sci-Fi novel about the multiverse, written by his friend - the writer, Ahmad Al Aidaroos. Each piece of music accompanies a specific part of the literature.
Some of the most talented people in the business from various parts of the globe have been handpicked to make the album possible. A big part of this talent pool includes Turkish arranger Zafer Haznedaroglu and conducted by Youki Yamamato and the superb chief sound engineer, Matt Howe.
State-of-the-art production, carried out at KATARA Studios, has brought the music to a whole new level, making the album a truly special and enlightening work of art.
Mamdouh is about to present his new musical masterpiece to the world very soon. Watch this space!
