Tamino

In writing these stories l’ve stumbled across a number of people that I otherwise wouldn’t have, Tamino is one of those. At Globescope, the interested is focused on things international and that resonate from a different perspective. Tamino is a singer, song writer and musician creating great music with a global bent.

Amir album by Tamino, 2018.

Tamino-Amir Moharam Fouad (known as Tamino) was born in 1996 to Belgium mother and Egyptian father and grew up in Antwerp, Belgium. Tamiro comes from music heritage and is the grandson of one Egyptian musician, Muharram Fouad and he studied music at the Amsterdam Royal Conservatory.

Tamino-Amir Moharam Fouad (known as Tamino), shoot for British GQ magazine.

First impressions count and Tamino’ first album Amir (meaning ‘Prince’ in Arabic) is both different and familiar. ‘Different’ because there is clearly a middle east flavour that permeates more or less through many of that tracks in an effortless way. I say ‘effortless’ because it doesn’t sound forced or laboured but rather natural, it ‘makes sense’. Sounding majestic, dramatic and at times cinematic, Amir immediately sounds ‘different’, as heard in the opening track Habibi. Cleverly Tamino’s music is not so different be out of reach or too abstract. The music sounds ‘familiar’. I have read articles that refer to the similarities to Jeff Buckley and this is true but l thought it sounded more like Radiohead, at times. Coincidentally Tamino worked with Radioheads’ Colin Greenwood on his debut EP, Habib. Maybe Greenwood also connected to the Radiohead-like sound or maybe he just thought Tamino was a super talent?

Tamino and Colin Greenwood of Radiohead.

Tracks like Tummy (Track 3 on Amir album) are simpler from that of the more ‘serious’ tracks like Indigo Night (Track 6 on Amir album), balancing the album and reinforcing a slightly ‘old school’ feel of Tamino as a musician. For some reason, l imagine that l should listen to Tamino on vinyl, late at night, drinking something with a bit of bite.  

SW.