Bahraini pianist and producer Fares Ahmadi is expressing the uncertainty and heaviness that the ongoing Iranian attacks in the kingdom have brought, through his latest single Waltz for Peace.
The self-taught musician recently released his single – an original solo piano piece – shaped by reflection and written under the weight of what people are living through in the Middle East.
“I wrote this work in the hope that music might carry what conflict cannot – tenderness, human closeness and a gentle call for peace amid division and pain,” the 34-year-old civil engineer, movement coach and musician told the GDN. “War leaves no true victors behind, only grief, absence and broken hearts.
“I wanted to express the pain and uncertainty that we felt when the conflict began.
“This is a quiet song and I hope people can feel the tenderness. Behind every conflict, there is human grief and even unity, and that’s what I wanted to convey.”
Mr Ahmadi had turned 34 on February 23 – a mere five days before the attacks began on February 28, shattering the peace he normally associated with Ramadan.
And, what was supposed to be a spiritual day and month filled with family time and reflection quickly turned scary. “It was a big shock for all of us, I think, to hear sirens going off like that in Bahrain of all places,” Mr Ahmadi, who lives in Riffa, added.
“I didn’t know what to do – we were all scared, even my cats were scared.”
Moments of strife can often unleash creativity and a few days after the conflict began, as missile interceptions and drone strikes began to punctuate daily life in the kingdom, inspiration struck as Mr Ahmadi sat at his piano – his instrument of choice, which he felt would convey the rawness of the moment.
Recording and mixing the two-minute-and-nine-second instrumental original took him several weeks and Waltz for Peace was released last Wednesday on SoundCloud, Apple Music and Spotify.
The cover art for the single features a father and his son at the beach, with the young boy flying a kite – moments of peace that Mr Ahmadi feels truly embody Bahrain, rather than the pangs of fear people have felt over the last month. “It is supposed to convey a calm time with a peaceful future – the Bahrain that we are all used to, where children look up as they fly kites, not because they are scared or looking for missiles,” he added.
Mr Ahmadi has released a total of 28 tracks, and is currently working on an album.
The upcoming project is centred on his journey of recovery since he was diagnosed with Stage 3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, in 2023.
Although the project, especially close to Mr Ahmadi’s heart since he lost his brother to cancer in 2013, is now on pause, he hopes to return to it soon and release it by the end of the year.
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