CULTURE
Reaching new heights Flash Entertainment continues its quest to champion regional music talent with its Regional Artist Spotlight. Next up: Tamtam
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audi Arabian singer and songwriter Tamtam is based between Los Angeles and Riyadh. At just 13 years old, she relocated to California as her parents wished her to see the world through many different eyes. Since then, Tamtam has been channelling all her life experiences into her passion, becoming an emblematic bridge between the Middle East and the West through her passionate, honest and genre-defying music. From helping promote the Saudi breast cancer awareness organisation founded by Princess Reema bin Bandar, to writing about being a female artist in Saudi, Tamtam continues to shed light on topics close to her heart… How did you first get into music? As a child, I was always listening to Western music. At around 11, I discovered my own voice. I started taking voice lessons and joined in school musicals. Then, during a summer in college, I met a family friend, Zahed Sultan. He’s a producer who I started to work with. That’s when I released my first song Little Girl. How would you describe the music that you make? I love making music that bridges the worlds of pop and hip hop with trap elements and Arabic instruments.
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MUSIC
Who are the artists, or people, who inspire you? Some of the artists I’m really inspired by at the moment are Banks, Post Malone, Lana Del Rey, Aeris Roves, and Fairuz (always). What are your latest musical accomplishments? To name a few, releasing my single and video for Ismak, performing at Expo 2020 Dubai, and being a part of the XP music conference in Riyadh, taking place this month.
What is your creative process like? I love to sit at the piano and write. When I first started writing and making music, I didn’t play any instruments. I would just sing the words with melodies that came to my mind, and I recorded the ones I liked. Working in the studio with a producer is a bit of a different process. They usually start the beat based on the vibe we want and the inspirations we play to each other, and then I write melodies over that.
What has been the biggest obstacle of your career? Me being completely comfortable with who I am, and confidently sharing that with the world. It’s normal to have concerns about what others might say or feel, but I’ve worked on myself to focus on listening to my body and my gut, when it comes to making decisions. This has changed everything for me, and I hope my story can help people become comfortable with themselves. I know the world would be a better
