Naser Mestarihi

Naser was born and raised in Doha, Qatar into a musical family, his paternal uncles are all professional musicians. His father is a Jordanian Arab while his mother is a Pakistani Pashtun.[7] He states that his introduction to music came through his parents who gave him his first rock albums. He also states that the album that inspired him to pursue a career in music was Guns N' Roses debut album Appetite for Destruction. Although not formally trained, his mother enrolled him in a music school, however due to his lack of interest in the material being taught, Naser quit and began teaching himself the guitar.[1][3][4]

Naser began performing live at the age of 17. He had minor international exposure two years later when he was featured on a Danmarks Radio documentary in 2006 which was broadcast in Denmark and Scandinavia.[1][8]

Naser began his solo career in 2007 performing a handful of shows in the United Arab Emirates as a solo artist and a sessioning for bands. Some of his first notable shows included performing at the United States Military Base Camp As Siliyah in his hometown of Doha, where he performed on the 4 and 5 July to mark the U.S. Independence Day celebrations with several other local bands. He also made his radio debut around this time on Qatar’s QBS Radio. This was followed by the launch of his first solo single "Salvation" in September 2009 on the station.[1]

He began recording his debut EP in December 2009, although the album was set to be released between March and June 2010 it was marred by several delays due to production setbacks. The self-titled Naser Mestarihi EP was eventually released on 31 December 2010, making it the first official rock record ever to be released out of Qatar. Although the album did not yield any commercial success it received critical acclaim from magazines including Rolling Stone Middle East who hailed it as "A huge sounding impressive debut" and Sur la Terre magazine who gave it 4/5 pearls. The EP was released on iTunes and several online outlets.[1][9]

Naser composes all his music and lyrics (including drums) and is known for his meticulous recording approach recording every instrument's track on his record with the exception of the drums.[1][4][10]

Naser released his second album 1987 on 17 June 2013 worldwide and 2 August in Qatar.[6] The album's first single "Exodus Highway" receiving a positive review in the May 2013 issue of Rolling Stone magazine prior to the album's release.[3][4] The album itself received a positive review from "Rolling Stone" magazine.[11]

He launched the album in Dubai at The Music Room with the support of fellow Dubai rockers Nikotin and Kicksound supporting. [3][4]

He followed the release with his second full length album “Praed Street” featuring renowned drumming sensation Cobus Potgieter in March 2016.

Naser has cited many bands as influences on his music, his favourite band is Guns N' Roses however he has also cited classic rock bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, The Who and Queen as his main influences.[4]

Other genres Naser states he enjoys listening to include new wave and punk. He cites Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, Michael Schenker, Jake E. Lee and Slash as his favourite guitarists.[12][1][10]

Naser is a former student of Middlesex University and attained a degree in Public Relations, Journalism and Media.[3] He suffers from Obsessive-compulsive disorder.[13]

He is also an avid West Ham United fan.[1]

Studio albums

• Naser Mestarihi EP (2010)
• 1987 (2013)

• Naser Mestarihi on Twitter