The Autostrad has come a long way from Jordan to Cairo, and at a hot, burning pace. Rania Khallaf enjoyed a hasty stop there Autostrad (Highway) is the title of the new album recently released by Yazan Al-Rossan, a Jordanian pop singer and the founder of the band which carries the same name. Last week, the six-member band came on tour to Cairo. The band's first trip to Egypt falls within the framework of artistic exchange programmes organised by the independent arts coordinator Ilham El-Khatib. Autostrad is a fairly unique title. "It is a catchy name. It suits this global life. When you ride your car on an autostrad, you find almost every kind of car along the way," Al-Rossan told Al-Ahram Weekly on the third day of the band's visit to Egypt. "This is exactly what we present: global music that suits everyone and can be understood by different audience." Autostrad is a fairly new band, yet it has become a huge hit in the music scene in Amman. Al-Rossan released his first album, Tilifizion, in 2007, and then worked with other musicians to produce Autostrad, the second album. The album's songs are a mix of world and rock tunes and the lyrics are derived from the everyday life of Jordan, but they sounded pretty familiar to the audience in Cairo. On The River stage at the Al-Sawy Cultural Wheel, Al-Rossan and his band are vibrant, hot, and amazingly interactive with the audience, who yelled, clapped and danced during the one-and-a-half-hour concert. What is amazing about this band is that all members are old friends, and it really shows on stage. The harmony among the players and the soft flow of music speak for themselves. "It is the outcome of long hours of daily training and improvisation. Unlike other Arab bands, all the band members are dedicated solely to the band. "We decided that we, as a band, should dedicate all our efforts to the development of Autostrad. And I believe we are on the right track," Al-Rossan says. Al-Rossan is a vocalist, guitarist and song writer. Yet his enthusiasm goes beyond all that: he dreams of keeping on a straight path and increasing his audience by presenting and developing this type of world music. Al-Rossan, who obtained a Masters degree in musicology at the Tunis Conservatoire, also plays with a band led by the Jordanian musician Tarek Al-Nasser, who composed the music for the series King Farouk, a Syrian production, screened less than two years ago on Egyptian Television as well as almost all Arab satellite channels. "It's OK to Cry at the Airport" is one of the band's hot hits. "It is written in Jordanian slang, but is understood by all in the audience everywhere in Arab countries." "The album was funded by an independent music club in Jordan, and the distribution of the album is still on a small scale," Al-Rossan says. "We decided to release this album for the first time in Egypt because of the significance of the artistic scene here. We believe it is a huge step in the band's career. It is a real achievement to access and impress the Egyptian audience. The Egyptian audience is this kind of interactive and appreciative audience, and would encourage you if you offered a good music," he smiles. The band played four concerts at Al-Azhar Park, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, After Eight, and then in Al-Sawy. "They were all successful. It is really encouraging," he comments, taking off his dark glasses. Al-Rossan first studied oriental singing for a year at the Conservatoire in Amman, and then switched to guitar and piano. "I used to listen to all kinds of singing as well, starting from Egyptian folk singers like Adaweya and going on to Pavarotti," he says. "And my dream is to create a creative mood by using other media, or onscreen cartoons live on stage." "The artistic scene in Jordan, a small country with no more than six million inhabitants, is flourishing. The number of bands is increasing, but nothing compares with Egypt," Al-Rossan says. He believes that the key to success is "sincerity. "The keenness on working on a life-time project: developing ideas and musical themes all the way by keeping an eye on the audience and being open to different musical trends in the world," he says. "The lack of funds for independent musical bands is common in the Arab world, but what is more important for a band to obtain funding is to achieve an excellent musical standard and to have in mind a unique musical project that will entice producers to put up money. There is a prospective plan to work jointly with the Egyptian Resala band," he adds. The concert's programme included the album's eight songs. Ya Leil (Oh Night) is one of the rock songs, a very hot number, where I felt the sound creeping into my own body. The sound was a huge, irresistible thing you could allow it into your body for a few brief moments. "He asked for my identity cards, and I answered that I don't have any" is another brilliant song that appealed to the audience. The song, written by Al-Rossan, criticises the musical scene in the Arab world, and the unprecedented number of trivial singers, such as the Lebanese Haifaa Wahbi, who control the market. "It is like a Karate game," the song goes. Other songs deal with daily life routines, drinking tea, romantic minutes between lovers, and desperate situation of young people addicted to drugs, in an ironic tone. However you enjoy the concert, the lyrics of the songs fly swiftly from your head the minute you leave the concert hall. What remains is the different mood the band brings to the stage, and the enjoyment, and this yearn to join this unique performance one more time, maybe twice. However, it is highly recommended that you buy their first album and judge it for yourself.
