Photographed by: [Ramy Moharam Fouad](https://www.instagram.com/ramymfouad/?hl=en).
“The misconception is that you have to do what you're good at, but sometimes I think you have to just do what you like,” shares Tamino.
[Tamino-Amir Moharam Fouad](https://www.instagram.com/taminoamir/) is one of the lucky ones who is exceptionally good at what he likes.
It’s a warm evening in Downtown LA as I sit down with singer Tamino Amir in the lobby of the Tuck Hotel.
Tamino is a 22-year-old Belgian-Egyptian singer known for his Arabic-influenced sound. This unique combination of influences is what creates a voice as rich as his. He has mastered the dynamic of being both soft and strong.
When I say this, I am referring to his voice, but his character holds the same quality.
There is a serenity about him. He is soft-spoken and thinks carefully about everything he says, not out of fear of saying the wrong thing but seemingly because he understands the weight that words carry. When I ask a question about his relationship with his audience during a live performance, I could see that he is transporting himself back to a memory in order to truthfully and vividly describe it.
“I hope people in the audience can transcend their own train of thoughts just like I do when I'm singing and if they can do that when listening to the song, theres a huge energy that flows in the room and everyone goes home feeling warm,” says Tamino. “I think my songs for some people can sound a bit dark and I think there’s definitely a darkness there, but for a show it’s more of a warmth that I want to convey instead.”
From knowing his background of moving out and starting his career at a young age to meeting him in person, I can see his independence. What is interesting, though, is the way he uses his independence; it is subtle and hidden. It is not something he flaunts, but something that is seen through his actions and perspective. He talks about making music for himself and as an exploration of himself, but he also gives his audience the same independence by encouraging them to to search for their own interpretation. He understands that the way his music resonates with one person may be completely different from the next; his music is not made with the intention to tell people how to feel, but to give them an opportunity to find sense in their own way.
Photographed by: [Ramy Moharam Fouad](https://www.instagram.com/ramymfouad/?hl=en).
When Tamino performs, his captivating voice sends everyone to their own moment of euphoria. This ebb and flow of energy is what creates the connectivity that happens in the room. “It can be compared to meditation, where you're really in the moment. Those moments are very important to my life,” shares Tamino.
If you have never heard his voice, open a new tab, play his song “Tummy,” and come back to this.
Tamino is about to perform at The Moroccan Lounge and the audience is chattering with drinks in their hands.
At a concert, everyone has a different experience, but Tamino comes on with his soft yet strong voice that fills the entire room leaving the bodies standing in it with no other option than to breathe as one. Compared to a concert where people are swaying back and forth and holding up their phones, the room stands still - we become a collective. All eyes are on him, mesmerized by the range of his voice and the power he holds even though it is just him and his guitar on stage.
The room gets darker as he performs the songs off of his debut album, _Amir_, and the spotlight on him becomes brighter. When I watch him perform, I lose sight of the people around me - tunnel vision. Like Tamino had described to me earlier, it is an intimate moment, reaching a state of transcendence along with the people around you.
I understood that the feelings I was experiencing in The Moroccan Lounge was the energy he was referring to.
I left the concert feeling warm in my polka-dotted spaghetti strap dress, not even needing a jacket.
His deluxe version of his debut album 'Amir' will be out on Oct. 18.
On top of that, he will also be releasing a new live video on Sept. 30 featuring the unparalleled Nagham Zikrayat Orchestra.
P.S. The songs that mean the most to him are ‘Habibi’ and ‘Persephone,’ so definitely give those a listen.
