Farooq Alshaikh, Bahrain's Answer to Live Music
+973 3383669 /+973 39886778
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Profile:
Farooq Sulaiman Al-Shaikh
Date of birth : 28-01-1980
Nationality: Bahraini
Certified musician (ABRSM level 5 practical, level 3 Theory)
Languages spoken: English, Arabic, Spanish, Urdu
Styles : Arabic music, Jazz, Soul, Latin, Balads, Hindi, Fusion)
Sings in French (one song), Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, English, Russian (one song)
Band Memberships
Latin Jazz Ensemble and The Kings (1997-2004) which included famous producer and keyboardist Hisham Al-Sakran.
Arabic Band Collaboration in 2003 with Abdullah Taqi and composed the song ما آصدق (which means I Can’t Believe).
Most people we’ve come across describe Farooq Alshaikh as one of the hidden treasures native to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Not only is he a rare find, but he has the experience. At the young age of 14, Farooq started playing the guitar and covering the difficult musical material of Ali Bahar and the Gypsy Kings while never knowing that one day in the near future he would actually be onstage with the world-famous Gypsy kings as their special guest in the esteemed Typhoon restaurant in 2007 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
He credits Dr. Essam Al-Jowder from the Ministry of Art for catapulting him to perform with other highly acclaimed international artists such as Tito Losada, Tango flamenco, Cezar Mora ,Ramon Sato, Haneen y Son Cubano and the aforementioned Gypsy kings.
Mr. Alshaikh is also called Bahrain’s musical history maker. To date he is only singer of Bahraini National Origin that sings in Arabic, Spanish, Hindi, English, Russian and French. He literally is a walking marvel. During the course of his studies he has obtained the certification level of ABRSM level 5 practical, level 3 Theory from his country due to his determination to teach tomorrows youth.
In his words, “ Can you believe that I’ve started playing Arabic songs more on guitar where people used to laugh at me? Now look, everyone is now doing it.” (while laughing)
In his achievements he was honored by SH. Salman and the King of Bahrain, His Highness, Hamad bin Salman Al-Khalifa while performing with his flamenco band and singing , with a standing ovation, the royal family expressed their pride to have a person like Farooq Al-Shaikh from the country. They further commented that he is one of the best examples of a creative self-taught Bahraini talent. He plays in Bahrain, Lebanon, Dubai, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and soon America.
He credits his mentor Mr. Mirza Al Shareef for identifying the fact that he took latin music seriously and listened to him until he reached a level where he would achieve more than 40 styles of latin music from multiple latin countries.
“I thank God for Mr. Mirza and it is such an honor to have such a mentor. He’s performed with FANIA All STAR’s for 50 years with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente , Niki Marero, Hector Lavoe and others and he chose me to pass down his incredible knowledge.”
Mr. Farooq Alshaikh has one of the kindest hearts in the land and this is why we at Solel International chose to write about him. We are also proud to announce that he is creating an original project called “Struggle” and we can’t wait for the outcome! He is a forward thinker, super-talented musician and an upstanding representation of his family and country. He currently runs Alshaikh Studios and teaches at Ibn Khuldun International School where he teaches practical music theory and guitar.
This story was run by Solel International World Media Division.
Solel International is an American Based Company headquartered in Houston, Texas. We serve in the area of art education, rehabilitation, and international cultural awareness.
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Please check out some of Farooq Alshaikh’s notable performances with world renowned artists: