Iconic soundtracks of cherished series and movies are forever etched in our hearts. These tunes of happiness are created by artists that love music and dedicate their lives to helping others enjoy it as much as they do. One of the most talented and prolific individuals in the industry is the passionate Egyptian music composer, Khaled Al Kammar. Al Kammar has an impressive record of soundtracks including the series Faten Amal Harby, Al Bahs Aan Ola (Finding Ola), and Ma Waraa Al Tabea (Paranormal). eniGma magazine had the chance to sit down with the bright composer to dive into the fine details of his greatest accomplishments, measures of success, and future aspirations.
Al Kammar began his journey with music at a young age, despite coming from an academic family without a musical presence. He was pressured by his family to study mechatronics engineering in the GUC, however, he never neglected his passion and taught himself the basics of music.Once he graduated in 2012, he headed straight to the music industry and worked in Hany Adel’s studio until 2015.
During that time, Al Kammar assisted top tier musical composers and artists such as Hisham Nazih in the movie Al Aslyeen (The Originals) and Khaled Hammad in Awalem Khafeya (Secret Worlds). Over a decade later, a new project now still gives him belly butterflies just as it did in his first year. “A part of me still goes through the same nervous feelings, but on the other hand I feel that since it has been going on well for a few years now, I must be doing something right,” he says.
“For me it isn’t about a certain percentage of approval, but success
is all about maintaining a certain level of quality and respect – that
none of my projects receive any disrespectful shaming”
In fact, his commitment to multiple new projects gives him an opening for refreshment. “I believe working on a number of projects simultaneously is beneficial for me, as this allows the opportunity to recharge by engaging in a different genre, which is similar to what happened when I was working on Baba Geh (Dad’s Here) and Bedon Sabek Inzar (Without Prior Notice),” Al Kammar confirms. On the contrary, he isn’t the type of composer to accept any type of project just to keep himself in demand. “The type of work that I won’t accept is a generalised comedy that has music present in all of its scenes all the time without any specific need for it,” he states.
Like any proud artist, Al Kammar has favourites. “I think my top selection would definitely include Atabat El Bahga ( Thresholds of Joy), Leeh Laa (Why Not?), Kabeel, and Mawdou Aeli (Family Matter),” he declares. There are some other projects which didn’t top his list, but still hold a special place in his heart. “Also, Ma Waraa Al Tabea series. I will never forget the first moment I knew that I will work on its soundtracks, I kept on running around in my studio from happiness,” he laughs.
Despite having a busy schedule, he maintains his personal success philosophy. “For me it isn’t about a certain percentage of approval, but success is all about maintaining a certain level of quality and respect – that none of my projects receive any disrespectful shaming. I actually get a hunch on how my work will perform, and every time I monitor the responses afterwards, it turns out that my feeling was right,” he asserts.
However, his criteria for judging a soundtrack’s success in fulfilling its purpose have changed over the years. “Four years ago, if you asked me about what makes a soundtrack a perfect fit, I would have said it is the track that makes you feel sufficiency in itself, but then a series like Gafar Al Omda came out with its strong presence and intense clear emotions for every scene, which proves that there is no fixed concept,” Al Kammar expands.
On the other hand, the question remains whether creating a successful soundtrack is an easier process in a certain genre compared to others, especially when it comes to comedies. Al Kammar clarified, “The comedy genre represents a conundrum as I wasn’t always convinced of making the small soundtracks relevant to certain funny situations rather than real interconnected music. My most significant experiences in this arena were in the series Mawdou Aeli and Baba Geh, and I decided that my approach to comedies would be creating a complete musical world relevant to the atmosphere and events of both series.”
Regardless of his taste and preference, Al Kammar avidly follows the soundtracks produced by other composers to learn and gain greater exposure. “I have always studied the projects of fellow composers by splitting each soundtrack to small segments and trying to understand how different sections harmonise together. In the beginning, I performed these studies out of rivalry and competition within the existing styles of work, but then I decided to make a change by following different genres, and at the same time I will have my own style and school of work,” he explains.
During these extensive studies of the soundtracks of numerous composers, Al Kammar discovered there is no fixed rule to enjoying soundtracks on their own. “The concept of listening to a soundtrack as a standalone musical piece varies from one project to another. For example, thematic music can always be listened to on its own such as the series Ma Wara Al Tabea, Faten Amal Harby, and Kabeel,” he demonstrates.
Al Kammar’s strong musical opinions and traditionalist roots haven’t prevented him from adopting technology. “I believe that any battle against the evolution of music is a losing one, as a technological shift doesn’t eliminate the roles of musicians and composers, but they just change in order to adapt to the new reality. For example, artificial intelligence can be a very useful tool in analysing old soundtracks which I recently applied when working on a project that involved Ammar El Sherei’s records,” he elaborates.
Role models and their influence play a big role in the formation of Al Kammar’s inspiring talent. “The icons that influenced me are Ammar Al Sherei and Omar Khairat, especially Al Sherei because of his influence on the Egyptian culture as he tried to make people love music, which is something I truly admire. While, on the other hand, Omar Khairat is a true pioneer who created such unique music that anyone can enjoy and get attached to regardless of their age or lifestyle,” he describes.
Al Kammar’s hopes and dreams have evolved with time and experience. “I used to have a dream of people listening to my music all over the world, but now my aspirations have changed to opening a musical theatre in Egypt which I believe is a realistic dream.” The sky is the limit for a talent like Al Kammar who believes in continuous development and making the most out of his extraordinary talent. The exponential growth of his career is inevitable and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him!