Through his music, Belal Al Asali takes people in the UK back to Syria and reminds them of the beautiful past.
Belal, 39 years old, was born into an artistic family with most of its members working in music. Studied music in Syria then fled to Lebanon and then the UK. He says “Syria is always in my heart and it’s challenging to sing when my people suffer a crisis every day but we must keep our smile for the audience and sing to provide for our families and help people in need in Syria.”
Belal only chooses songs that have good lyrics that suit the Middle Eastern culture. “I always sing traditional old songs to bring them to life again. Arabs in the UK enjoy listening to them as they feel nostalgia and happy old memories visit them.”
The Syrian artist has a studio at home where he spends most of his time training and recording songs. Belal plays the keyboard and the percussion instruments and learns new instruments now and then. in 2016, he formed a band with 27 members called Balabel Al Shark (the Eastern Bulbuls). In each part of the UK, there’s a member or two to cover that area.
Belal says, “I dream of being internationally well-known and becoming a first-class singer. My songs have a message and encourage people to listen to good music. I urge people to be wise when listening to songs. The type of music and lyrics must be respectful and meaningful, otherwise, it might harm the brain. This is primarily for the new generation who deserves good music.”
His fans are not only Arabs but also English and people from different backgrounds. “Music is a language itself, we don’t need a translator to understand and feel the music,” he adds.
Belal is currently working on a mini album that includes two of his original, lyrics and music.
He says, “I sing to spread love and unity and because we represent the Syrian community, I want to introduce Syrian cultural music and educate people about the history and art of Syria through my music.”