It’s been a minute since we last caught up with Tamara Qaddoumi. Back in 2018, bazaarite Yasmine Dalloul picked her mind on the notion of rebirth and her Indie-Pop 4-Track EP, Dust Bathing. Now, with the dawn of a new decade, we see the release of Qaddoumi’s “To See You” from her latest Trip-Hop 5-Track EP, Soft Glitch.
To say that “To See You” is otherworldly is an understatement. A stark landscape of shifting sands, high winds, and chromatic light present Tamara navigating what truly appears to be a different plane of existence. Directed and choreographed by Jana Younes, we also couldn’t help but fall in love with the distinct, leading guitar that accompanies Tamara’s vocals that radiate power and sensitivity.
“To See You” depicts the intertwining of two internal universes, forming an energizing bond through the harmonious movements of organic, intimate choreography.
As her time usually split between Kuwait and Beirut, with stints in Paris, London and New York, being physically grounded was a drastic change for the always on-the-go talented songstress.
Like everyone else, though, she made the best of it, telling us she’s been “…unraveling, living slowly, taking care of my plants, and making lots of music – particularly for this new electronic project I’ve been collaborating with – 2n2r. And of course, I’ve been getting my new EP Soft Glitch ready. After the recording was done, I worked on two video clips and am currently getting together all the visuals and communication.”
“This pandemic was the most incredible year for me to be honest – I had no choice but to sit with myself and confront myself and really learn who I have become every day, and what I need to work on,” Tamara continued, “I also ended up collaborating with a tight-knit electronic group 2N2R. We worked together closely and intimately, and were even able to perform a fundraiser amongst the ruins of Beirut.”
With the start of the new decade, all of her continued hard work is finally coming to fruition, and she’s super excited about what’s to come.
When it came to her inspiration for “To See You”, Tamara collaborated with a roster of talented Middle Eastern minds who all shared the same vision she had for the video’s story. The incredible choreography by Jana Younes in the video shows us Tamara going back to her theater roots, “I studied physical theater in drama school, and drama in university, and felt like I lost touch with that physicality, the sense of movement psychology. When people listen to my music, I want to ignite every sense. So I thought it was a great moment to relearn to communicate and speak with my body. The video really is about the ways in which seeing can be touching – which I think resonates particularly this year, with so much imposed distance and lack of intimacy.”
Tamara believes that her collaboration with Jana Younes was a fated experience, “[It] was meant to happen,” she said, “We had met up initially without any real plan, basically just to see if we would mesh, if we could look toward the same vision. When she left that day, the Beirut explosion happened, and we immediately called to check on each other, although we had just met. We obviously kind of put things aside after the blast. But after a while, I got back in touch with Jana, and encouraged us to begin the project. I felt like I needed to work, to get my mind off things. After some resistance, she agreed, and we fell into the work process so naturally. We worked beautifully together and were really inspired by one another. We began a lovely friendship, and are eager for future collaborations!”
As with all of her previous projects, Tamara embraces a new lesson learned with every new experience. From going back to her drama and theater roots, to being coached by Jana Younes for “To See You”, Tamara pushed her creative limits to do something different, yet familiar at the same time.
“What the experience taught me was to be open to the waves of introversion and extroversion, both in my work and in myself. Life is filled with juxtapositions, and I love watching it consistently shift in shapes in my life. I never thought I would see myself in color, so colorful – but there I was! Also, as a vocalist you spend a lifetime trying to find your voice. But through this record, perhaps through creating it while in such an unfamiliar situation, I’ve learned to continue to develop, to change, to take risks and step out of my comfort zone. I’m excited to keep going and growing and living.”
In looking at the new year and decade, the artist is eager to get herself and her band 2n2r on stage and credits this collaboration as key for bringing this EP to life.
“Ayman Zebdawi (drums), Antonio Haj (producer and bassist) and Tony Daou (guitar) are my family. We actually had a bunch of gigs in the Middle East set up, but then came Corona. Although I think it was actually beneficial to our process, I can’t wait to get on stage, to share our energy and to perform for you!”
For more information and to watch “To See You”, check out @TamaraQaddoumi on Instagram and visit tamaraqaddoumi.com. Solo photos and featured image of Tamara Qaddoumi by Abdullah Alsaleh, @Iambooda_ on Instagram.
