Meet Bahjat, pop singer-songwriter determined to establish himself on the international music scene.
Music has been a part of his life from the start – learning to sing around the same time he began walking and talking. Throughout his life, Bahjat has always chosen to express himself through art.
From drawing to painting to writing, he explored the art world continuously until he wrote his first song. Ever since then, he’s known exactly what he wants to do.
Writing for Bahjat is more than putting words and melodies together – it conveys how he deals with all of the challenges life throws at him.
“If I’m feeling terrible about something and I write a song about it, I feel sudden closure,” he says. “It offers a sense of relief.” But it’s not just about the negative... for him, songwriting is a way to pick himself back up, to express his excitement and happiness and to share stories and experiences that have had an impact on his life.
Bahjat was only 15 when he uploaded his first cover to YouTube. In 2010 he simply enjoyed singing and sharing his passion with the world. But, when he managed to accumulate over 80,000 views and 1,000 subscribers in just a few months, Bahjat realised his potential and decided to take time off to develop himself as a songwriter.
If I’m feeling terrible about something and I write a song about it I feel sudden closure
In 2014 Bahjat stepped into the studio with producer Trevor Kissaun to work on some of the material he had written and together they produced several songs. One of these was Stand Tall, which was later released as Bahjat’s first buzz single in 2015.
The accompanying video focused on delivering a message of unity, tolerance and inclusivity, and featured the world renowned student organisation, Aiesec, as well as people from all around the world who had sent in their own videos dancing to the song.
Stand Tall was very well-received, reaching over 10,000 views, charting on the Bay Radio Malta Top 10 and getting airplay and media coverage in just a matter of weeks.
Now, the singer has just released his newest track, Talk to Me, another work that has emerged from his studio sessions with Kissaun. It features the work of Peter Borg (Red Electrick, Ira Losco) and Unik (Chris Brown, Nelly), whom Bahjat visited in Germany in order to record and mix the song. This hook-filled pop song is Bahjat’s commercial debut and tells a relatable love-at-first-sight story of falling for a girl without knowing anything about her – not even her name.
Talk to Me premiered earlier this month on 89.7 Bay’s Bay Breakfast With Ylenia, reaching the Bay Top 10 Malta charts that same evening and climbing to the Number 3 spot in just a couple of days.
The music video for Talk to Me was produced by V-squared and features rising model and actress Sarah Zerafa.
The video is inspired by personal events. With the launch of his new single, Bahjat is already thinking about the direction he wants his music to take, with a number of new projects and ideas in the works.