Reminiscent of the Middle East’s incomparable diversity, Tash’s unique and infectious style are about to change this region’s music and entertainment benchmark. The first full artist signing to Sony Music in the Middle East, Tash is an inspiring new artist with an unrivaled talent for music.

Raised in South East London, Tash grew up to the rhythmic beats of Arabic, international and Turkish music.  One of his earliest memories is around owning a mini snooker table where instead of playing, he would grab the sticks and make rhythmic beats on the cushions of the sofa, banging and rhyming, at age 5.

When asked about his musical influences, and where he draws his inspiration from, Tash took a moment to reflect on his cultural diversity. “The first time I heard Vanessa Mae”, Tash shared, “my mind opened up to the classical world. My mum loved The Supremes, I took a liking to commercial music such as Destiny’s Child, No Doubt, a lot of diverse genres... but I remember that from a very young age, I loved Egyptian music and Arabic beats the most.”

Tash’s raw talent is partly demonstrated by the fact that although he studied music at school and music production in college, music theory meant very little to him. It was more of an inclination to create his own music than to follow notes. That in turn bred in him the need to write, produce and perform all of his music on his own. As he got older, he gradually developed a strong ear for oriental beats. The Arabic language in particular contributes a lot to his music. “It is a beautiful language”, Tash expressed, “It touches me every time I hear it. I remember that from a young age, it has always sounded very familiar to me.” He started enjoying the works of Amr Diab, Mustapha Amar, Elissa, Cheb Khaled, and others.. Khaleeji and Arabic pop music are one of his core influences as he continues to write and produce his own music.

When asked about how London influences his music, he shared “I feel like I am London. It’s so natural to me. Many on a subconscious level, it gives me the opportunity to express myself fully with little limitation. When I’m making music I know I can take it to wherever I want it to go without the fear of being judged, because in London anything goes. I could be anywhere; in bed or on the bus. I hear a melody in my mind, so I get up and record it. Here, moments of inspiration aren’t restricted to a setting.”

It is hence no surprise that Tash considers London his home, and has been able to make so much of his talent by being there. Having established himself and honed his song-writing, performance and production skills, he is now ready to reach out to the Middle East; the region his music will speak to the most.

His authenticity has made him the one to watch. His debut album, The Deep End, is a colorful blend of English and Arabic music infused with Turkish and Mediterranean sounds. His sound is a unique blend between East and West, fusing traditional oriental beats with Western R’n’B and Dance. When asked what he wants people to feel when they listen to his album, Tash replied “I want them to share a moment. This album is all about sharing a moment of their lives with the song.  I want it to come across as just a variety of different moments in life, celebrating your situation whatever it may be, and embracing life wherever it’s at. The songs are a reflection of my own life and experiences. When I wrote ‘Hypnotized’, for instance, I was in a reflective mood. I was looking back at a previous experience, I lost myself in a trance, it was almost like writing about an obsession..”. “Habibi Leh”, he continued,” the first single released from the album, expresses a feeling of betrayal and angers towards a past love. It’s about being deceived by the person you love in order to fulfill their selfish desires, about feeling burned and scarred by a lover… It’s that feeling you get when you’re giving so much of yourself, and it’s all being thrown into the fire.”

‘In The Silence’, also taken from his debut album, was originally written at a time when a long term relationship was coming to an end. He wrote it to emphasize the power that silence can have between two people. It was snatched up by the management team working on the “Bokra” Quincy Jones charity project; it sat amongst a selective track list of 15 songs alongside Usher, Chris Brown, Kadim Al Sahir, Shakira and Tamer Hossny.

The Deep End, is Tash’s debut album, and is releasing on 12.01.12 by Sony Music Entertainment.

The official music video for the first hit single, ‘Habibi Leh’, in both English and Arabic, is being released across the Middle East on 01.02.12.

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