Bahraini Gets Featured in Apple Music’s R&B Charts
Hip-hop artist Wrista has become the first Bahraini to be featured on the official Apple Music R&B Now playlist. His single ‘Dubai Love’ is making waves on Apple Music, with the track being streamed over one million times on the popular music platform.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Tribune, Wrista, aka Abdulrahman Alsahhaf, shared the artistic struggle he had to undergo and revealed how an artist can build a strong fan base locally while growing among the international audience too.
Wrista said he began his musical career when he was just 13 years old and is now thrilled to represent Bahrain on a global scale, buoyed by the one million views his song ‘Dubai Love’ has earned.
Narrating the artistic struggle he underwent, Wrista said, “I’ve been attempting to increase viewers over the past 10 years by changing my sound, identifying my artistic identity more clearly, and making an effort to promote myself as an artist.”
Before releasing a song, he would play it on the phone, a TV, and through a speaker to check whether it got monotonous. If it didn’t, he knew it was a good song, the artist explained. He got the idea of ‘Dubai Love’ while driving through Dubai.
He loved the view, the lights, and the architecture and felt it was aesthetically pleasing and wanted to write a song about it, Wrista said. But recording music in Bahrain is not an easy task, Wrista revealed.
While it’s excellent to have viewers or listeners from the United States, there is a cultural difference, not just in Bahrain but also in other regions, of people preferring to listen to international music than local artists, he stated while pointing out that getting the support from locals is crucial.
This is where the authorities could step in and promote the local musicians by providing assistance in various forms, such as offering venues, funds, and music schools, the artiste said. As a parting shot, Wrista advised young artists to focus on establishing a sincere and loyal fan base who would buy their music.
“Don’t be concerned about popular appeal. Find a small but devoted fan base, and they will propel you to the millions,” Wrista said.
