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Hani Malik, a doctor by day and a rocker by night, has released his first album sharing his life struggles and pulling on the heart strings of music-lovers across the kingdom, writes Mai Al Khatib.
The 27-year-old Bahraini is a one-man-band, composing fresh beats and singing his own lyrics while plucking at his sleek black guitar.
Malik, from Jid Ali, who packs a powerful voice, has written, produced and recorded a 10-track debut album entitled No Remorse which has taken two years to complete.
The alternative-rock album reveals his journey from recording songs in a tiny make-shift studio during his university days at the Irish Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin to moving back to the kingdom as a family physician.
He said: “No Remorse is inspired by events and experiences in my own life and of loved ones around me. It tells a story, from start to finish, of my journey during some difficult times in my life. The album explores themes of hope, love and deception.
“Living in Ireland at the time, the extra room in my Dublin apartment became a makeshift recording studio with an electric drum kit, a bass guitar and a condenser microphone to add to my collection of guitars. I used simple recording software on my laptop to put my album together.
“The moment I set foot in that room, it felt like a parallel universe. As messy as it was with all the wires and guitar picks and random things sprayed around the place, this was where I could forget about everything and everyone and focus on my passion for music for hours on end.”
His story, as he put it, all began after graduating from the university in 2008 and continuing to pursue a career in surgery in Ireland.
However, after three years of working in Dublin, Malik decided to return to Bahrain and start a new journey as a family physician with a four-year residency training programme at Salmaniya Medical Complex.
Musically, though, it all started in 2010 when he penned his first song Lie to Me which is the first track on the album.
Malik has always had a passion for music since his childhood to his teen years at the Bahrain Bayan School performing in front of crowds in a band. He said: “I can’t help but admit that listening to and writing music is a form of therapy. I’m not so sure what I would do without it.
“What I hope does continue to happen though, is that I continue writing songs and release further albums down the line, and perhaps even collaborate with others. So I guess that would be my dream, from a music point of view.”
No Remorse is on sale at Room 2 Rock in Hamala and Euphoria at Seef Mall for BD4.
For more information about Malik and his music, log onto facebook.com/hanimalikfm, tweet him @hanimalikfm
