When Lebanese singer and Arab Idol judge Ragheb Alama gave Mohammed Assaf the nickname Asaroukh ("The Rocket"), he must have known that the young Palestinian was destined for a stratospheric rise to fame.
Despite the Arab world slowing down and spending time with friends and family for Ramadan and Eid, for Assaf it means a gruelling schedule of performances, which is still not second nature to him.
In an interview with The National, he said "You know, one of the things I did when I entered the industry is seek out the advice of my peers, particularly those I consider superstars, and they told me the same thing: that’s on the first years of your career you are going to work harder than you ever did before. Also, I have my own goals as well. I don’t want people to forget my name after I am done, so to do that there is rarely time for rest."
His ascent from wedding singer to his journey to the Arab Idol auditions to his superstardom is set to be immortalized on the silver screen with a biopic directed by Oscar-nominated Hany Abu Assad. Assaf is quick to point out that the film is a dramatization of his life:"I would say that it is a drama and like most dramas there are certain things that are bit further away from what really took place. The film discusses my achievements and the challenges that I faced but in a different way."
He only saw a rough cut of the film recently, and despite the artistic licenses, it didn't stop him from being moved to tears. "It’s great, he told The National. That said, however, my only comment on is what I told you before: it is not 100 per cent accurate in terms of what happened in my life. It is more of a drama. Particularly the first half of the film. In the second part, which focuses on my Arab Idol experience, now that is very realistic. By the way, don’t take what I am saying here as criticism — it’s just my honest take on it. The film affected me deeply when I watched it: it made me laugh, I also cried and I connected with all of the characters in it."
The yet-to-be titled biopic is slated for a September release at the Toronto Film Festival. Assaf has recorded songs specifically for the movie, but will not appear in it, as he has been busy recording his second album which is scheduled for release next month.
The next album will be in the style Egyptian pop, with Assaf singing in the country’s accent for all tracks. He wanted to stretch himself musically and honour the country's musical heritage. He worked with Egyptian songwriters such as Amir Ta’ema, Bahjat Amer and Tamer Hussein.
“Egypt is acknowledged as the most important country when it comes to arts and culture and I have always loved the music and artists that came from there,” he told The National. “I also admired artists who are available to sing in different styles, so it is from that perspective that I wanted to do an album that is purely in the Egyptian dialect.”
The first single from the album Aywa Haghani (Yes, I Will Sing) is also sung in the Egyptian pop style and will be released online on Sunday. The video features the singer walking through Cairo’s streets.
“It is a beautiful place and the clip is not just showing the glamorous area,” he says. “We head to the traditional neighbourhoods and you can see the people are generous and passionate.”
