We’ve all grown up to the legendary sound of renowned artist Suliman Al Qassar. His passion for the folkloric arts — coupled with his beautiful voice — birthed generations of followers that witnessed him performing cultural songs in various styles such as Al Khamari, Al Ashouri (Al Radha art) and Al Samry. Since he started his artistic career in 1979, his natural born talents evolved with time to lead him on a journey that combines all of his passions, from music, performance, folklore to the culinary world. With an appearance scheduled at the ultimate culinary festival in March 2016, The Taste of Q8, you will not want to miss out on the huge opportunity to meet this local legend!
Al Qassar praises authenticity in all aspects of his life, from genuine folkloric cultural shows to the food prepped in his kitchen. With his incredible skill and talent, he has created an art arena, establishing this musical field for Kuwait and the GCC. His performances at wedding processions, for instance, are every bride’s dream, as his authentic style and natural talent that celebrates the nation’s rich history is inimitable. His artistic touch is also ever so prevalent in the form of the traditional bridal dowry box, or the dazza, where he combined his love for all things folkloric in a format that truly separates his talent from his peers’. Al Qassar’s touch is iconic to say the least, and we cannot wait for him to take the stage at the upcoming Taste of Q8 taking place March 17-19, 2016 at the bespoke Marina Crescent in Kuwait.
It was through this journey that Al Qassar discovered his passion for the culinary world. He’s enjoyed a natural ability in the kitchen since a young age when he watched his mother and aunt create amazing traditional dishes, but he initially focused more on perfecting his musical talents. Al Qassar believes that passion knows no boundaries, and cooking is an art that should be carried out with a ‘sense’ for how food should be tasted and presented. This instigated his desire to follow through with his dream to enter the field. His innate curiosity, combined with his love for watching entertaining cooking shows on The Food Network, led him to further research the world of gastronomy. Nonetheless, he never thought that his past time hobby and passion would lead him to host his own cooking show, Flavor and Spice with Al Qassar.
Al Qassar had always dreamed of hosting a culinary show that featured local celebrities in the kitchen cooking up a feast for the palate. While the idea was faced with many challenges, he first made his culinary debut alongside local presenters Hanouf Al-Balhan and Hessa Al Loughani on Al Watan TV’s morning show. Al Qassar naturally dazzled the audiences, and insisted on cooking the dishes he wanted to present himself. A most serendipitous opportunity presented itself for Al Qassar, when he took his place alongside culinary darling Chef Adlah Alsharhan when filming an episode of Kashta, her successful traveling food truck show. A meeting with renowned producer Bader Alkandari, where he suggested that Al Qassar host his own, show led them to develop Flavor and Spice with Al Qassar. Three seasons later, Al Qassar is still going strong with many culinary tricks up his sleeve. He even recently stated that there are dishes that he still hasn’t presented yet! In this unexpected career twist, Al Qassar witnessed unprecedented fame and success in the last three years, and he cannot wait to join celebrity greats at the upcoming Taste of Q8.
For those foodies that want an extra special treat, a limited number of Meet & Greet entrance tickets will be available. These tickets will allow attendees to enter the Hospitality Suite and meet with the chefs, and get a goodie bag with the Taste of Q8 souvenir apron and Cookbook. Meet & Greet participants will have access to all the Celebrity Chef sessions, following their presentations. Buy online starting February 1 at www.TasteofQ8.com. Several Meet The Chef Dinners will be scheduled in February and March. Apply online at www.TasteofQ8.com to obtain tickets to these very exclusive pre-events.