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Hip-hopping hero Jawhar Zitouri - known also as B-Boy Zilla - will be representing Bahrain in the final of a regional break-dancing competition against the cream of the Gulf's dance floor talent.
B-Boy Zilla, 23, from Adliya, took the kingdom's crown at the recent 'Red Bull BreaKing Bahrain' contest which witnessed a series of head-to-head battles to establish a national champion.
"It feels great to win!" said delighted B-Boy Zilla, who is already in training for the final in October. "I know it's going to be really hard so I am going to practice even more. I will do my best to win the title."
Taking place at Amwaj Beach Club, the Bahrain heat constituted the sixth stop of the regional break-dancing championship.
Bahrain B-Boys wowed the crowds with their stylish dance moves and daring aerial acrobatics, all performed to the rhythm of smashing hip-hop beats.
The competition was held in a standard 'knock-out' format and each contestant was given two opportunities per heat to demonstrate their skills in front of Red Bull BC One world champion Lilou, who was judging the event.
B-Boy Zilla battled his way through three action-packed rounds to the final where he faced Abdul Rahman Ghazi Alhamar, known as B-Boy Huey, who provided stiff competition with his crowd-pleasing windmills and gravity-defying freezes.
Ultimately though, B-Boy Zilla was victorious, finishing his heat with a spectacular under-flip and winning the right to represent Bahrain in the regional final in Dubai. Aljan Abdul Aziz Alrowi, known as B-Boy X, secured third place.
B-Boy Zilla comes from Tunisia and will be graduating from New York Institute of Technology - Bahrain in Human Resources. He started break-dancing 10 years ago when he spotted dancers in his neighbourhood and asked them to teach him some basic steps.
The Red Bull contest was not his first dancing success. He joined the Upper Underground Crew dance team and has toured Europe, Africa, Asia and the US entering competitions. B-Boy Zilla has won a few freestyle accolades too and now his younger brother Ashraf, 13, is following in his footsteps.
B-Boy Zilla also has a 24-year-old sister, Khawla, 24, a university professor in Tunisia. His father Khalid works at the Tunisian Embassy in Bahrain and his mother Jameela looks after the home.
His parents were not too keen about his love of break dancing because they wanted him to focus on his studies.
But, he says, as time passed he learned to balance the two loves of his life. Once he graduates he hopes to find a good job and continue break dancing for another 20 years.
FACT FILE
B-Boying which is often referred to as break-dancing or breaking, started during the late 1970s in the Bronx, New York and is a foundational element of Hip Hop culture along with DJing, MCing and Graffiti art.
The term 'B-Boy' or 'B-Boying' which refers to the dance, moves and lifestyle originated in New York and was coined by Kool Herc who was one of the pioneering Hip Hop DJs throwing jams in the Bronx.
Over the last five years, the b-boy scene in the Middle East has been growing fast. Many workshops are being staged to master the art but now it's the time for the talented B-Boys, such as Jawhar Zitouri, to shine and represent their country at the Red Bull Middle-East BreaKing Final.
