The Feisty Rockstar

Naser Mestarihi is possibly the first musician to release a rock album out of Qatar, with a famous look to go with it. Born and bred in Doha, the Jordanian-Pakistani multi-instrumentalist — has become a rock and roll fame in Qatar, who is instantly recognisable thanks to his signature black Ts and flowing curly hair. His wardrobe staple of black shirts, and leather has been just as captivating as his stage presence as he picks up and shreds an electric guitar just like a Rockstar out a movie scene. With masterful skill and style, you simply can’t look away.
Most people know him from his ‘1987’ single, and his early days with the group are certainly where his flair for grungy gear of instruments developed. It’s the dramatics in his performance that he rarely performs without one. Even as he has transversed into different styles of performances and music, his vocals have remained consistent which is a clear message that Naser is not an average bubblegum Rockstar. With his mixture of heartthrob good looks, pulsating riffs, and smooth vocals as if born with musical greatness, what more could anyone ask for? Naser is redefining the genre for a new generation in Qatar.
But ofcourse, he’s all too modest to agree. Naser meets with Gulf Times to talk about his humble collaboration with Grammy Award winning musician Thomas Pridgen, loyalty to his roots and how eager he is to reconnect with his Doha fanbase, all whilst giving out a message of never giving up to young musicians.

You’re one of the very few musicians in Doha who chose rock music to express themselves. How did that happen? And what is it about rock music that keeps you going?
It all started out as a kid growing up in the early 90s. Mainstream music was different back then, you’d hear rock on the radio so I picked up records like Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Metallica, Nirvana and so on from older family members and instantly knew this was what I wanted to do when I grow up.

Is music something you express yourself with?
Music helps evoke emotions that are difficult to express verbally. Music being universal, I mean we got fans all over the world, some whose first language isn’t English but they connect to the music and that’s the beauty of it. It’s cathartic, you’re putting what you feel on a record and someone thousands of miles away can relate or connect to it.
Music’s always been my outlet irrespective of my emotions, when I’m feeling good, uplifted or depressed, I mean with regards to the latter it really helps releasing that negative energy. It’s uplifting letting it out.

Coming from Pakistan, do you think Coke Studio has an effect on the kind of music you do?
Yes, being half Pakistani that has had an impact on me culturally and I obviously love a lot of music from that region, South Asia. Coke studio is great, really proud to see something like that come out of my mother’s country.

Do you see yourself going to Pakistan and working with Coke Studio at some point?
Absolutely. Being a musician there are no limits to where I’d travel or work, I’ve always wanted to tour Pakistan if circumstances allow it, there’s an awesome music scene there and incredible musicians. If an opportunity comes up with Coke Studio, then we’d be totally down to do it.

Tell us how ‘Ivory Towers’ happen? Your collaboration with Grammy Award winning musician Thomas Pridgen.
For years I’d been putting out records as a solo musician & after a while my touring band and I agreed to work under a band name, for several reasons, one of them being able to collaborate rather than me writing all the music on my own.
So I basically picked the name Winterburn off a tune on my last solo record and started writing the material to “Ivory Towers.” Thomas I got in touch with via one of my close friends in LA who played with him in a band called The Memorials, obviously Thomas is a remarkable musician with so many big names & accolades under his belt so I stoked to work on the record with him.
We tracked the album between the Gulf & San Francisco and it was a smooth process, mixed and mastered it in Europe with the Weislawski brothers and that was it really.

You’re a guitarist, vocalist and a singer songwriter – but what is it that you enjoy the most doing?
Definitely guitars, I became a singer by default when I was a teen because we couldn’t find a lead vocalist and eventually that just became another ‘instrument’ I took up. I’m a bass guitarist too, which is something I’m very passionate about.

Who is your favourite musician, where you draw your inspiration from?
Wow, that would be a massive list, I mean I listen to hundreds of artists across so many genres but I can list down my biggest influences in three categories.
Guitarists I’d say Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Slash, Hendrix, Jake E. Lee, Nuno Bettencourt, Tony Iommi & James Hetfield.
Singers would be Ray Gillen, Paul Rodgers, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, James Hetfield and Freddie Mercury.
Bassists would be Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Cliff Burton and Flea.

Doha is becoming a new hub for musicians and artists alike. Your take on it?
There’s a lot of potential but there aren’t a lot of bands putting out original music which is the one bummer about it. I mean we’ve had our own difficulties dealing with promoters who’ve basically had a chokehold on venues because they don’t want original bands, they approach things from a very corporate mindset, they see cover bands as the more lucrative approach which none of my band gets. We come from the school of nurturing and supporting original music, it’s great if you’re into playing covers, to each his own but we’ve been doing this professionally since our late teens and early twenties so we just don’t get it.
I was disillusioned with this for a while but now we’re doing things on our own, our way, without someone dictating what we should play or the format of our shows.
So far we’ve played quite a few shows this year with one coming up next week and the reception has been great, the crowds love it cause it’s something new and fresh and we’re really chuffed to have had such an warm reception so far.