Jad Ghazal and Kicksound on Winning Zippo Encore Arabia

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Supplied/Antonie Robertson (from left)

Zippo Encore Arabia, an online music competition for unsigned artists in the U.A.E., came to an end on May 14th as alt-rock trio Kicksound and Lebanese guitarist Jad Ghazal were named winners by a panel of judges consisting of Zippo’s global marketing manager David Warfel and five stalwarts of the local scene – Fatiniza, Nikotin, Dany Neville, Elvis Gargaric and Rouba.

Kicksound’s winning entry, “By Now,” is, says frontman Oliver Ephgrave, indicative of his band’s eponymous debut EP, which drops this month. “I like Metallica, Muse, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden… so it’s primarily riff-based, but with melodies,” says Ephgrave.
Ghazal created his winning instrumental, “Nights of Dubai,” over the course of about a year, alone at home. “It’s a mix of Oriental music with electronic fusion,” Ghazal says. “It’s a bit weird. But I see it as something original. It’s got the electronic beats that people are so in love with these days, but the guitars are recorded live.”

For Ghazal – who says he hopes to collaborate with local singers in the near future (“I don’t have a nice voice,” he says. “At all. And, really, you need vocals to make it”) – winning the Zippo contest was a surprise. “It means a lot,” he says. “For someone who was just sitting alone in his jam room, just grooving around with equipment, it made me realize that it’s actually good music that people like.”

For Ephgrave too, the victory was a boost. “It’s been a great vote of confidence for us as we launch our EP,” he says. “It’s great to win an award and be recognized. We’re very proud."

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