Omar Al-Amar to "Al-Arabiya.net": I am turning "Naghmat Watar" into a broader production project

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Saudi artist and composer Omar Al-Amar revealed to "Al-Arabiya.net" his plan to expand the "Naghmat Watar" project and transform it from a channel into a more integrated musical and production project, coinciding with his preparations for new sessions and collaborations and increasing his presence on stages in the upcoming phase.

Al-Amar talked about his experience using artificial intelligence in music production, confirming that he now relies on it to prepare "demos" for his melodies and to experiment with different colors and arrangements before handing them over to the music distributor, but he also believes that technology will not be a complete substitute for human feeling and performance.

Al-Amar described artificial intelligence as a "real revolution in the world of music," expecting its significant impact on advertisements, soundtracks, and commercial works, and that it will open opportunities for those who master its tools professionally.

He added: "I use it to create better demos for my melodies, and to imagine more than one color and arrangement for the same melody before handing it over to the distributor," explaining that this has saved him a lot of time and helped clarify his musical vision.

However, he ruled out the possibility of technology completely replacing the human element in music, considering that "human emotion, real performance, and the details of live instruments are difficult to fully compensate for."

Regarding the challenges facing independent artists, Al-Omar stated that the production budget remains one of the main obstacles for emerging artists, especially when executing sessions professionally and with live performance.

However, he emphasized that money alone does not create success, adding: "A song recorded with just an oud may succeed, while a song that had a large budget may fail."

He believes that the biggest challenge currently is no longer limited to producing the song, but rather its ability to appear and reach the audience amidst the crowded platforms filled with new works.

He confirmed that production companies still play an important role in financing, marketing, and reaching audiences, but they have lost some of their previous monopoly after the music industry transitioned to the digital world and artists' ability to directly publish their works.

Regarding the song "W Talihah Ma'ak" that he released through "Rotana", Al-Omar clarified that the experience was a unique artistic collaboration and not the beginning of a complete production contract, indicating the possibility of repeating the collaboration in the future.

In the event of receiving an offer from a major production company, Al-Omar defined what he described as his red line, stating: "My artistic decision comes first, especially in terms of the direction of the works and choosing what aligns with my identity and my audience."

He added: "I believe in partnership, but it is important that the partnership adds to the artist and does not erase their personality."

Al-Omar paused at the stage of separating his personal name from "Naghmat Watar", explaining that the audience has known him for years by the project name more than his real name.

He said that the decision was not easy, but it became necessary with the expansion of his artistic and media presence, for "Naghmat Watar" to settle as a brand and musical project, while "Omar Al-Omar" represents his identity as an artist and composer.

He added: "Today, Nagmat Watar is the umbrella and the production project, and Omar Al-Omar is the artist and composer."

Despite the significant digital presence of his works, Al-Omar acknowledged that his focus over the past years has been more on production and digital platforms, denying that the scarcity of his concerts is related to caution about live performance.

He pointed to his previous participations in events including Riyadh Season, Vokali, the Rose Festival, and the Book and Readers Festival, revealing his intention to intensify his presence on stage.

He said: "The most important thing for me is to transfer part of the Nagmat Watar audience from digital platforms to the stage."

Regarding the connection of his works to calm music and 'Roqan', Al-Omar confirmed that this stems from his taste and personal nature more than being an artistic strategy.

He said: "I love spaces where the word, melody, and emotion are clear, and I do not like musical clutter without reason," adding that he leans towards calmness in his life and taste, which naturally reflects in his music.

On the other hand, he confirmed that he does not reject experimentation, citing the song "God on This Night," which combined a Gulf melody with a Turkish-style arrangement, and the song "Hasafa," whose arrangement approached pop music.

He summarized his vision by saying: "True experimentation is to present something different without losing yourself within it."

Al-Omar talked about his experience with the poet and artist Rayana, explaining that the artistic compatibility between them has accumulated over time, and that her lyrical texts are close to his taste, making the composing phase more inspiring.

He affirmed that Rayana has her own personality and independent artistic talent, noting that her limited appearances are related to her personal choices, and that she has artistic aspects that have not yet been revealed to the audience.

Regarding keeping up with new generations, Al-Omar said that his perspective on musical work has changed; whereas he used to think of the song individually, he now looks at the entire project in terms of production, timing, content, distribution, concerts, and building the artistic catalog.

He affirmed his attachment to the oud as part of his identity, saying: "The oud for me is not something old that I am trying to preserve, but an essential part of my identity, and my role is to present it in a way that can live with every generation."

Al-Omar revealed that the upcoming phase will witness new sessions and collaborations with names that have their presence and audience, in addition to special works presented in a different way and increasing his presence in concerts.

He added that he is simultaneously working on developing "Naghmat Watar" from a channel into a broader musical and production project, in a step that represents a new phase in his career.