Omani singer and oud player Mohammed Al-Amri believes that music in all its manifestations is magical, but that people resonate better with certain instruments and styles. For his part, it was love at first embrace when he met the oud. ‘You could say that it’s the only instrument you can hug,’ he says. ‘Because of its rounded shape, you can always feel it when you play and the music connects with your heart and vice versa; this means that the stronger your emotions, the better you will play. Sometimes I can’t express my feelings in words, but I can put them across through music.’ Mohammed’s repertoire includes a mix of well-known songs from around the Arab world, as well as a couple of his own heart-felt compositions.

Born in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya in the Philippines, Carmela Labitoria lectured on Aesthetics and the Humanities at the Universidad de Sto Tomas de Manila before coming to Bahrain where she teaches English at the Gulf International Institute. She started writing poetry aged 10 and hasn’t stopped, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, among them the works of T.S. Eliot and Sylvia Plath. ‘I write about mundane things like crossing the road, having a midnight snack, drinking a cup of coffee and waking up early in the morning,’ she says, ‘but in a style that turns them into the lyrical, always with a tinge of forcible emotion somewhere in there.’

Tarik Omar’s musical history began with the violin aged nine, progressing to the piano, trumpet, guitar and didgeridoo. But that was all before he discovered and fell in love with the synthesizer; and, for the past year, he’s been writing and producing music using this and pro software. ‘I really like the sandboxy feel of being able to sit down, customize and experiment with new sounds,’ he says. ‘I try not to stick to any one genre but rather play around with very classical instrumentals such as the violin and cello, while also pushing the envelope with synth modelling to create sounds that aren’t naturally possible.’ Born to an American mother and a Saudi father, Tarik has lived in both countries and has been based in Bahrain for the past 11 years.

Bahraini photographer Ali Al Riffai has an impressive list of clients both at home and abroad, who seek him out for his professional approach to everything from food to fashion photography, but his true passion is portraiture. ‘Capturing people and their emotions is to capture life, itself,’ he says. ‘I also love painting with light and shadow to create more than a picture but a mood and a feeling. I think this is what makes photography art.’ Photography was originally just a hobby for Ali, who worked for GPIC (Gulf Petrochemicals Industries Company) for 12 years, while experimenting with his camera on the side. He started taking pictures for work functions and a side business began, until five years ago, he went professional and hasn’t looked back.

For Italian freelance photographer Loredana Mantello the desire to capture moments that her eyes and mind registered but that she couldn’t satisfactorily paint or sketch led her to the camera as a means of expression. For her, photography is therapy – food for the soul. ‘It is my homeland, my friend, my haven, my harmony, my peace and my happiness; my thoughts seek refuge in it,’ she says. Loredana has exhibited both locally and abroad, and won several awards for her artistic images, the most recent of which, represent ‘a journey towards the soul and culture of the people of the Middle East’.Photography Camille Zakharia 2007.

Local artist and Elham member, Seana Mallen, is offering a series of classes to inspire to you to express your own artistic voice through painting and drawing. Seana has taught for over 15 years at college and university level in the UK and for 3 years in Bahrain, unlocking and releasing creativity in a supportive and dynamic studio environment.

website for artwork: www.smmallen.moonfruit.com
website for classes: www.awaliarts.moonfruit.com

Born in Awali, Yacoub’s first writings were at the age of ten, writing a detective story called “The adventures of Inspector Yak: In search of the missing Shampoodle” and “The Insect Exterminator” which was later turned into a school production. After completing a degree in Multimedia Technology at Leeds Metropolitan University, he rediscovered his love for writing and since then has started his blog Yagoob’s Dome (http://ydome.elzeeyed.com) where topics are mostly about the little things that nobody notices in Bahraini daily life and culture. This also is a recurring theme in his creative writings as he will be reading an as yet untitled short story especially written for the Elham session.

Born in 1992, Ali is currently a high school senior at Modern Knowledge Schools in Bahrain. With an ear for music, he first picked up the bass guitar at the age of 12.

His music is made up mainly of the bass guitar, using it as a lead instrument, rather than a rhythm instrument.

The bass is always viewed as a boring instrument, and Ali is trying to show people that bass is as good as and interesting as any other instrument. He writes and records his own music at home, and is planning to release his first EP soon.

After completing his high schooling at The Indian School, Bahrain, Vijesh left for Mumbai to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Commerce.

But then his interest in filmmaking led him to Brisbane, Australia, where he then completed his Masters in Film & Television production at the film school in the University of Queensland.

Vijesh now works as a copywriter in advertising whilst making short films to keep his passion going. His films include ‘Fallen’, ‘The Waiting’, and ‘Woken Shell’.

Growing up as an adamant believer in Spider Man and Grendizer, a basketball and football player, a fan of the arts including anime, comics, Sci-Fi movies, techno music and horror novels, Fawaz considers himself a creative mind with a passion for art expression. His work represents over 14 years of experience in electronic arts, branding, web and advertising design; photography, music, video and writing stories are his latest passions. He has worked in various advertising agencies and design firms as a senior designer. He studied at the art institute International (Pittsburgh, PA) and majored in Visual communication. Born in 1977, into a family of artists in Bahrain has helped him understand the world from a different perspective. It was at the age of 10, that he got his first sign and found his new direction in life as a graphic artist. By the age of 11, Fawaz was a certified Apple user and a year later became the first to teach Canvas 1 in the center. He still owns his first Mac LC. (www.fawazalolaiwat.com)