World Est in Abu Dhabi

Sara Taher meets local jazz funk group World Est. who are quickly gaining a reputation as one of the capital’s must-see live acts. Now they’ve got big plans to make the Abu Dhabi music scene even bigger.

As the rest of the world continues to show an interest in Emirati culture and the burgeoning talent the UAE is producing, we spoke to Nadim Helal, keyboardist and one of the founding members of popular local band World Est., as they try to break new ground on the global music scene.

How did the band come together?
It all started with a 2012 desert camping trip where, during the evening, three guitars were brought around the camp fire and Nizar (guitar/percussion), Elie (guitar) and I started jamming together. The quality of the music that night surprised us all. There was a real communication happening between us – we innocently embarked on a creative journey. World Est. was born some months later. When Nizar, Elie and I would jam, we would record the sessions. One day while driving to work, I listened to a session’s recording and realised that we were on to something that had the potential to be really interesting.

When did it go from playful jamming to ‘let’s do this in front of a crowd’?
In 2012 we registered for the annual Fête de la Musique day organised by the French Alliance. And through an incredible series of events, within a week we met two other members who joined us, Ray (bass) and Kofi (drums). For some time after that we tried several vocalists but couldn’t find one in tune with our music. Cherine joined us a week before the performance and this was a breakthrough. Not only was she in tune with our music, but she gave a whole new dimension to it. We performed three songs; ‘Gentleman Jack’ and a reinterpretation of ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder. We also performed ‘Just The Two
Of Us’ by Bill Withers.

What’s the best and worst feedback you get from audiences?
There are always those moments where the quality of the sound is not ideal or where the audience just isn’t enjoying the type of music we play. We were performing one night in Abu Dhabi and, as we were playing, we could feel that the crowd just wasn’t into our music. So we decided to cut some pieces short, especially all the improvisation parts. And the best feedback is always seeing people in the audience excited, happy, clapping, dancing and asking for more. We also had several people coming to us proposing to work together on projects and recordings.

Where do you hope the band will be in five years?
The World Est. story can evolve in many different ways. I would definitely foresee a recording in the next couple of years and many more gigs before and after that. We have also been involved in a couple of fundraisers and charity events and this is something we will certainly keep on doing on a regular basis. World Est. is all about bringing people from different horizons together and pushing the creativity into uncharted territories. This is certainly in line with what the UAE is all about and I think there is a clear need for it in the region. So we will be pushing for more musical gatherings in the city and are willing to help organise them. We have been seeing more and more big names coming in the UAE in the past years (Madonna, Eric Clapton and Metallica for example) and this is a great initiative from the authorities. However I believe that a more regular scene for local bands would be a great add-on to this strategy. For instance, implementing a local music festival twice a year, where all the undiscovered talents in the UAE could present their work would be a great start.

How would you describe your type of music?
Some people categorised it as Oriental jazz or Oriental funk. I don’t like to put labels on what we do, because we are deconstructing the boundaries of genres, styles and type of music. It is a very organic evolution and we might be doing house music in a year for all I know.

What is your biggest fear when you are on stage?
Not being in tune with the music. I mean, technically of course, if the instruments aren’t tuned properly, but even more so, spiritually. It is a very similar feeling to the ‘zone’ in which athletes go when they’re competing, until they get there, it’s a lot of hard work, but once in it, then it becomes seemingly effortless. Well if a musician is not in the ‘zone’, the music is just harder to listen and related to.

How do you deal with stage fright?
Start playing. The first note is always the hardest.

What do you absolutely refuse to do on stage?
Play something I don’t like playing. I did it a couple of times and I just get bored and disinterested. There actually is much more stress involved with playing something that’s not coming from a good place in your heart and soul.
Find out more at www.facebook.com/World.Establishment.