Naser Mestarihi (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: ناصر شاهر صالح المستريحي; born 14 October 1987) is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitars, bass and vocals) based in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

. Mestarihi is the first rock musician to ever officially release a rock album out of his birthplace

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

, the '' Naser Mestarihi EP''.Paugh, Steve. "Rock in a Hard Place," ''Sur la Terre'' March 2011
/ref>Naser Mestarihi – Interview & "Salvation" on Dubai One
/ref>Flores, Llwellyn. "Doha's rock pioneer." ''Qatar Tribune'' April 2013
He released his second album ''1987'' on 17 June 2013.Ross, Matt. "Naser Mestarihi's Party of One." "Rolling Stone (Middle East)" May 2013
/ref>Saeed, Saeed. "Rock and a hard place: Naser Mestarihi is a music pioneer." "The National" November 2013
/ref>

Early life

Mestarihi was born and raised in

Doha, Qatar Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

into a musical family, his paternal uncles are all professional musicians.Naser Mestahiri: Up close and personal
/ref> He states that his introduction to music came through his parents who gave him his first rock albums. He also states that the album that inspired him to pursue a career in music was

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

debut album

Appetite for Destruction ''Appetite for Destruction'' is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was released on July 21, 1987, by Geffen Records. The album was released to little mainstream attention in 1987. It was not until the following ...

. Although a self taught player, his mother enrolled him in a music school but he quit shortly after due to his lack of interest.

Career

Mestarihi began performing live at the age of 17. He had minor international exposure two years later when he was featured on a Danmarks Radio documentary in 2006 which was broadcast in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

and

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

.Bagsair, Lubna. "Naser Mestarihi: Rock hard, play harder." ''Gulf News'' February 2011
/ref> Naser began his solo career in 2007 performing a handful of shows in the

as a solo artist and a session musician. Some of his first notable shows included performing at the

United States Military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

Base Camp As Siliyah in his hometown of Doha, where he performed on the 4 and 5 July to mark the U.S.

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

celebrations with other local bands. He also made his radio debut around this time on Qatar's QBS Radio. This was followed by the launch of his first solo single "Salvation" in September 2009 on the station. His self-titled debut the '' Naser Mestarihi EP'' was released on 31 December 2010, making it the first official rock record ever to be released out of Qatar. Although the album did not yield any commercial success it received some critical acclaim from regional publications including ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' Middle East who hailed it as "A huge sounding impressive debut.""Naser Mestarihi EP Review – A local boy makes good... by rocking our faces off!" ''Sur la Terre'' March 2011
/ref> Mestarihi composes all his music and lyrics (including drums) and is known for his meticulous recording approach recording every instrument's track on his record with the exception of the drums.Kadry, Mohamad. 'I still believe I can make it big.' ''Khaleej Times'' March 2011
/ref> Naser released his second album ''

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

'' on 17 June 2013 worldwide and 2 August regionally. The album's first single ''"Exodus Highway"'' receiving a positive review in the May 2013 issue of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine prior to the album's release. The album was well received by regional publications including "Rolling Stone" magazine. He followed the release with his second full-length album “Praed Street” featuring drummer Cobus Potgieter in March 2016.

Influences

Mestarihi has cited many bands as influences on his music, his favourite band is Guns N' Roses however he has also cited classic rock bands such as

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

, Thin Lizzy,

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

and

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

as his main influences. Other genres Mestarihi states he enjoys listening to include

Funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, new wave and punk. He cites

Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Randy Rhoads Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American guitarist. He was the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot, and the guitarist and co-songwriter for Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo alb ...

, Michael Schenker,

Jake E. Lee Jake E. Lee (born Jakey Lou Williams, February 15, 1957) is an American musician best known as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne between 1982 and 1987 and later as a member of the band Badlands with Ray Gillen. He formed the band Red Dragon Car ...

and

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

as some of his favourite guitarists.Mahdi, Huda. "Hard Rock Singer." "Areej Magazine" April 2014
/ref>

Personal life

Mestarihi is a former student of

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated MDX) is a public research university in Hendon, northwest London, England. The name of the university is taken from its location within the historic county boundaries ...

. He has Obsessive-compulsive disorder.Seguia, Glazia. "Five minutes with Naser Mestarihi." ''OK! Magazine (Middle East)'' May 2011
/ref> He is also an avid West Ham United fan.

Discography

Solo Studio albums * '' Naser Mestarihi EP'' (2010) * ''

'' (2013) * ''

Praed Street Praed Street () is a street in Paddington, west London, in the City of Westminster, most notable for being the location of London Paddington station. It runs south-westerly, straight from Edgware Road to Craven Road, Spring Street and Eastbo ...

'' (2016) Studio albums with Winterburn * ''Ivory Towers'' (TBC 2021)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mestarihi, Naser 1987 births Alumni of Middlesex University Heavy metal singers Jordanian male singers Jordanian people of Pakistani descent Living people Pashtun male singers People from Doha Pakistani heavy metal guitarists People with obsessive–compulsive disorder Qatari male singers Qatari people of Jordanian descent Qatari people of Pakistani descent Pakistani heavy metal singers Pashtun musicians