Tempo contributor and award-winning poet, Dorian “Paul D” Rogers, sat down for coffee with multi-talented musician and artist, Ahmed “Shaf” Alshafea, to discuss art.
Paul D: Tell me a little bit more of your upbringing. You are of Sudanese descent but grew up in Abu Dhabi. Where were you born?
Shaf: I was born in Omdurman, Sudan, back in 1985. I then moved here to Abu Dhabi when I was one year old. I was a very crazy and adventurous kid and used to spend most of my day dancing in the street with my friends.
Paul D: Maybe you can teach me some of those moves sometimes. You are a multi-talented musician. What instruments do you play?
Shaf: I play many piano, guitar, flute, bamboo flute, bansuri “Indian” flute, percussion, and ukulele. I guess what made it easier for me to learn all of these instruments by myself is my natural familiarity with tones, notes, and how they sound.
Paul D: How did you get in to music?
Shaf: I remember for my fourth birthday, my father brought me this cute little Casio yellow, mini keyboard. I wasn’t interested in it at all, so I kept on playing with my friends. My brother decided he wanted to open the box and try it. The second he touched it and it made a sound is when I became hooked on music. Music has always represented a personality to me. I always refer to it as The Lady Called Music; the way it speaks to me, the way we converse, the massive amount of emotions attached to “her”.
Paul D: So your brother deserves some credit for your musical success. That’s after you forgave him for opening your gift I am guessing. What is your favourite instrument to play?
Shaf: My favourite instrument is the piano. There is something about the sound of its strings, and the way the hammer strikes each one of them, the great dynamics of this instrument, and how I can control its loudness and softness. I love how its presence in any song can make a huge difference and add so much to its meaning and that it’s the only instrument that can exactly translate what I feel.
Paul D: You are also a music producer and engineer? When did you get into that side of the art form?
Shaf: Before I joined SAE-Dubai in 2010 to study audio production, I was always interested in sounds. Every time I listen to music, I connect each sound I hear with a memory, a colour, a smell, an emotion, a place, or even time. I then started translating whatever I feel or connect with in to my music.
Paul D: You are one of the organizers of Lamatna, a poetry initiative in conjunction with the Sudanese Cultural Club. Tell me more about that.
Shaf: Lamatna, a Sudanese word which means “our gathering”, was actually a thought of a very good friend of mine and co-founder, Reem Alfadil. We noticed the huge numbers of talented Sudanese and Non-Sudanese youth in Abu Dhabi and the UAE not only in poetry but in different forms of art. We then decided to gather them all in one place where they can showcase their talent and improve their skills. Since we already have a great venue at the Sudanese Cultural Club that supports us fully, we decided to take this to the next step and have the first show last November. We were surprised by the large number of people that attended and showed us support. We have a lot of plans for poetry workshops in English and Arabic, music workshops, acting, drawing and many disciplines in the near future.
Paul D: I attended the second and had a really good time. What do you do for your profession?
Shaf: I work in a private company and work with Abu Dhabi police as an assistant trainer in law enforcement and firearms instructor.
Paul D: What made you decide on that career path?
Shaf: I always had attention to detail and had aspirations to be a detective since childhood. Ever since I missed my chance to get into the police college and become one, I took it as a challenge to get involved in law enforcement. Another reason is the love of this country, especially the city of Abu Dhabi. Now, I get to assist Abu Dhabi Police keep the city safe for everyone who lives and visits. It is a great honour to give back to my second home and help in protecting and serving this community.
Paul D: Poetry and music is very big in Sudan. Why is there such a love for these art forms?
Shaf: Our beloved Sudan is a very big country with so many ethnicities, languages, and cultures. Each of these cultures has its own art forms, songs, instruments etc. The good people of Sudan have always been in touch with their emotions and feelings through what life had to bring them and what they’ve been through. This gave them different forms of expression especially poetry and music. One more factor is the beauty of the different Sudanese languages, dialects, and the educated and aspired youth of Sudan.
Paul D: One thing I learned about in Sudanese culture is that if someone compliments something of yours, you should offer it to them. Anything nice to say about this bill the waitress just handed to me?
Shaf: Nothing at all. Sorry.
