Qatar Living speaks to the artist, musician and tuner, Mothanna Abdullhassan, to learn more about his experience with Ajyal Tunes Show under Ajyal Film Festival.

Mothanna was born and raised outside his homeland Sudan moving between different cities and countries. However, his love for music helped him to live his memories.

“It always saddens me that with moving from a place to another, music is the only thing that connected all these friends, memories and places,” he said.

Mothanna was a part of Ajyal Film Festival Tunes family, which gathered a lot of talents locally in Qatar to make an outstanding show.

“Since we are heading to the World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar this will elevate more shows like Ajyal Tunes to start and talents to be discovered,” he said.

“Also, what makes Ajyal Tunes a great experience is how much our director Dana Al-Meer is trusting, believing in us to express our ideas and give us the chance to prove ourselves,” he added.

Mothanna’s experience with the Ajyal Film Festival has been quite fulfilling, as he was able to work in different roles, he said.

“It helped me in discovering what I am capable of doing as assistant director, music arranger/composer, lead and backup singer in the professional level,” he added.

Even though Mothanna recieved academic training in Electronical Engineering, his interest in music since childhood took precedence in his life.

“The moment my sister brought a guitar home, I began to learn how to play songs from Disney and tried to sing along with them,” he recalled.

He felt inspired and supported by his biggest brother and his sister, Azhar.

“Since my childhood days my sister Azhar and I always loved to watch our elder brother's video tape for Michael Jackson's music videos,” Mothanna said.

“Singing his songs and looking at him back then made us understand art as a combination of visuals, music and humanitarian messages and inspired us to believe that music has a bigger message to send,” he underlined.

Mothanna’s work combines the uniqueness of Qatar and his culture.

“One of the best things I like about Qatar is that the country encourages and supports the diversity of cultural arts,” he said.

“I see that many other artists living here, including myself, are a fusion between Qatari culture and other different cultures.”

There is no success without any falls. Like other successful musicians Mothanna faced challenges, and one of his biggest challenge was to find large-scale projects that would allow him to showcase his musical abilities.

However, Ajyal Tunes Show helped him to overcome this challenge,

“I am also thankful that this started with making Ajyal Tunes Show to thrive for two years in a row.  Additionally, I will do the music arranging and composing for a show representing Sudan in the 2020 Emir Cup Fan Zone,” he mentioned.

COVID-19 was devastating in all aspects for many people and it has changed a lot of things and procedures we once knew in all fields.

Like most other people, Mothanna was affected personally and professionally by COVID-19.

“Personally, this made it harder for us to do shows in the usual way and we had to use other platforms like social media or creating shows that can follow the precautions obliged by the MOPH but yet it can deliver the same vibe like before,”  he said.

This year has been tough on everyone. However, Mothanna is still optimistic and hopeful. He is planning to release his new original song by the end of this year.

“My plan with this release is to establish a new Sudanese Alternative Rock genre movement and to put myself on the map as an artist,” he said.

Mothanna believes that people should take the opportunities to shine and fight for their dreams without hesitations.

“I do believe in the quote that says -music is what feelings sound like-, I want to make sure that people will find the joy when they hear my music and I hope to inspire the ones listening that one day they may become artists to express themselves through their music,” he described.

Mothanna concluded by recommending some tips to the younger musicians:

“Don't be afraid to do new things even if it looks odd as long as you see where it guides you. Also, be consistent even when you don’t see the outcomes immediately. Lastly, learn from your mistakes and be open to critics,” he said.

“Always keep in mind that some people might laugh at what you are doing but don't let that stop you from pursuing your dream,” he ended.

 To know more about Mothanna and his music, check out his Instagram page: @mothannamoe

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