Talent

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Outlandish

Biography

Their first formation consists of Isam Bachiri, Waqas Ali Qadri [da], and Lenny Martinez [da]. All three members are religious, with Isam and Waqas being Muslims (of Moroccan and Pakistani origins, respectively) and Lenny being Catholic of Cuban and Honduran descent. Their first single “Pacific to Pacific” was used in connection with an Amnesty International charity event. Next came the single “Saturday Night”, a song that was later included on the soundtrack for the Danish film Pizza King.[1] The lyrics of their song “Look Into My Eyes” are based on a poem by Gihad Ali, a Palestinian who wrote the piece when she was a teenager; the poem expresses the plight of those suffering from America’s foreign policy with regards to Israel and Palestine. The video is based around the fairy-tale Little Red Riding Hood. It portrays an Israeli soldier as the Wolf and the Palestinian girl, wearing a keffiyeh (Arab scarf), as Little Red Riding Hood. The singles from their second album Bread & Barrels of Water made a bigger impact on the international music charts, including their cover version of Khaled’s “Aïcha”, but with added English lyrics. The Outlandish version was a #1 hit in Germany and received a lot of airplay across Europe and Asia, especially on South Korean radio stations.[2] “Guantanamo” also made a strong impression on the European charts.[3] Their single “Kom Igen” is featured on EA Sports game, FIFA 07. Sound of a Rebel, Outlandish’s fifth album was released on 11 May 2009. Its first single was “Rock All Day”.[4] The group disbanded in 2017 as each member wanted to pursue personal projects. In 2019 band members Waqas and Lenny brought back the band as a duo while Isam continued to pursue a solo career. Outlandish has since released two singles[5][6] and are currently working on a new album, titled The Cornershop Carnival.

News / Ranking / Titbits / Awards

The band supported Sami Yusuf along with other nasheed artists at the “Concert for Peace in Darfur” held at Wembley Arena in 2007 in order to raise money for the families of genocide victims in the region.[8] The trio has participated in the Evening of Inspiration concerts (in aid of Islamic Relief charity) since 2006 and most recently participated in the 2008 concert which also featured Seven8Six, Raihan and Kareem Salama amongst fellow performers.”[9] Outlandish performed a live percussion version of “Look Into My Eyes” at the “Islamophobia” conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark in May 2006 which was hosted by the Islam Channel and included many theological and political speakers and community leaders. Isam Bachiri features on the single “Still Strong” on Native Deen’s album, Not Afraid To Stand Alone.[10]

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