“I don’t believe that the right thing to do is leap from your career into your dream job. I have to understand how things work first and figure out how I could sustain myself in the music market, which is very competitive..” — Omar Abdelhady, Business Marketer, Multi-instrumentalist musician and member of The Chicken Came First.
At oksoundsgood., Abdelhady climbed the stage alone. It wasn’t clear what he was about to attempt. Gradually, the sounds that he produced during the performance filled the air around us with a wide spectrum of emotions. Exerting full control over the machines and instruments that surround him, each layer and loop he added moved the piece or transformed it into something new and often unexpected; something alive.
During just one piece and with the help of loopers, Abdelhady had played acoustic drums, drum machines, an electric guitar and a keyboard! And it all made perfect sense. If you try to use adjectives like psychedelic, ethereal, or eclectic to categorize his music, you will most likely fail. Because Abdelhady manages to maintain a special flavor throughout his young discography which respectfully transcends across a multitude of genres.
Omar Abdelhady at oksoundsgood. Via 925
“Actually, my full-time job has nothing to do with music or my college education,” said Abdelhady when I asked him how his career as a musician, a business marketer and his education interplay.
Shortly after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Cairo University, Abdelhady went off to work in Business marketing and is now holding a position as one in Vodafone Egypt. “I started learning music when I was 16. I just decided to pick up the guitar and learn how to play it. Up to this point, I’ve had no formal musical education.”
Omar Abdelhady rocking it at oksoundsgood. Launch Event Via 925
His decision to study Computer Science back during college wasn’t interrupted by a passion for music. Actually – back then – music was merely a hobby to him. Around 2011, he left his high school band and posted on Facebook asking his friends if anyone is interested in creating a band that plays music similar to the Red Hot Chill Peppers, Radiohead and Incubus; the bands that truly changed his perception of what music might be. Eslam Salem (the Co-Founder of oksoundsgood.) responded positively and together they co-founded The Chicken Came First.
The Chicken Came First playing at oksoundsgood. Launch Event Via 925
“I wish that one day I could solely focus on music. But it’s a very competitive market. So, that won’t be an easy transition to make,” he stated in an assertive tone that showed no resentment. “Through my job as a business marketer and my friends in the scene, I can see the many sides of the music industry. And that will certainly help,” he elaborated.
“I just want to make sure that I produce the same value from my work that I do now if I’m going to focus solely on music,” he continued. “Plus, the professions within the industry are almost endless. You have producers, sound engineers, session artists.. I have to know where exactly I’m going to fit.”
You can listen to Omar Abdelhady’s music on Anghami, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
