Tunisian singer Mahdi Baccouch says new music is on the way. Universal Music Mena
Tunisian singer Mahdi Baccouch says new music is on the way. Universal Music Mena
Tunisian singer Mahdi Baccouch says new music is on the way. Universal Music Mena
Tunisian singer Mahdi Baccouch says new music is on the way. Universal Music Mena

‘We are all stuck at home’: Why Mahdi Baccouch believes the pandemic has humbled the region's music industry


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE always rewards the industrious.

This was something Mahdi Baccouch realised not long after arriving in Dubai in 2013.

After being reunited with his father, who was busy working in a range of Arabic restaurants, the aspiring Tunisian singer seized the opportunity to forward his career by performing in some of these venues.

Word of his talent spread around the emirate and, before long, Baccouch began singing at private events and weddings. Some of those murmurings eventually reached the office of Dubai’s Universal Music Mena, who went on to sign the artist in 2018.

It was not long after that that The National first caught up with Baccouch, who was brimming with the confidence that comes with major label backing.

At the time, he had just released the single Bethadaki, which came with a flashy video shot on a luxury yacht anchored in Dubai Marina. Back then, the dream was to expand his musical horizons by singing in various regional dialects.

Speaking to Baccouch again this week from his part-time base in Tunisia, his goals are clearly bigger.

Eyes on the prize

The plan now is to go global, he says.

The first shot in that direction is his latest track, Skeletons. A collaboration with English EDM singer Tara McDonald, the track is a hybrid of RnB, trap music and dance styles, with the singers trading verses in English and Arabic.

“I always wanted to at least try and present my music within an international context,” Baccouch says. “So when the opportunity came to do this project with the lovely Tara McDonald, I did not hesitate. I always take my chances.”

And that means learning on the job. This was Baccouch’s first time singing in a western pop music production, and he admits it took some time to be on the same page as McDonald.

“The rhythms of this track are not something that I am used to,” he says. “I had to work hard to really nail it. I gave it my best shot and I am happy with the result.”

That open mind comes as part of an increasingly frenetic lifestyle that veers between recording and touring.

Baccouch now divides his time between Dubai and Tunis in order to maximise his touring opportunities. He has also released a steady stream of well-received Arabic songs ranging from ballads to mid-tempo pop. While pleased with his progression, he maintains that the grind is real.

“It is hard work. This is not something that surprised me but in this industry you have to keep pushing and creating,” he says. “You have goals, you reach them, and then you aim higher or adjust them.”

Has Covid-19 created a humble music landscape?

The present pandemic, however, has required a serious case of adjustment.

As we enter the summer months, this would have been a time where Baccouch would be touring the region. Instead, he finds himself in the midst of semi-lockdown in Tunisia, with all future gigs scrapped.

But, true to his nature, he grabbed the next opportunity and began delivering impromptu live performances on Instagram.

The whole experience remains a revelation, Baccouch says – not because of the performances, but in how social media and the pandemic have acted as great leveller for the Arabic music industry.

A fiercely competitive landscape with no shortage of egos, Baccouch marvels at how fans are now watching some of their favourite stars stripped of their glamorous lifestyles.

“You realise that we are all experiencing the same thing,” he says. “Before you see all these Instagram images of people in beautiful places, first class on planes, doing amazing shopping and things of that nature, but now we are all stuck at home. That was really interesting.”

Baccouch hopes that humbleness continues to echo throughout the industry, post-pandemic.

“I am seeing all these great artists that I admire going on TikTok dancing and just enjoying themselves. This is really what it should be,” he says. “I think we, as artists, need to show that side more. It will definitely bring us closer to our fans.”

As for his supporters, Baccouch tells them to get ready for more new music.

“I am working with some interesting songwriters and producers, so I am excited about the future,” he says. “It is always good to just keep working. I always feel I have things I want to achieve.”

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

MATCH INFO

Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')

Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')

Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)

Quick%20facts
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ENGLAND SQUAD

Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The biog

Name: Samar Frost

Born: Abu Dhabi

Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends

Favourite singer: Adele

How to become a Boglehead

Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.

•   Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.

•   Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.

•   Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.

•   Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.

•   Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.

•   Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.

•   Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.

•   Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

 


 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Closing the loophole on sugary drinks

As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.

The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
 

Not taxed:

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Ice Road'

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne

2/5

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.

The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

The results of the first round are as follows:

Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent

Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent

Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent

Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent

Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent

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Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Three and a half stars

RESULT

Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds:
 Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')

Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)

Mane points for safe home colouring
  • Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
  • Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
  • When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
  • Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
  • If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')

Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

The%20specs
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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now