Meet Salahuddin Al Raisi

We were lucky to catch up with Salahuddin Al Raisi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Salahuddin, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Keeping creativity alive is an ongoing task for me. In the back of my mind, I’m always looking for inspiration for my next project. I feel all the things I do are interconnected somehow down the line. Dancing, making music and designing are all tools I learned to stay creatively active. I use these tools without promising myself a reward, but as a way to work through my inner complexities. My intention is to have a meaningful conversation with the audience. Communicate what I feel through a piece of art. Then, I archive that piece to remember the emotional state I was in. Just like taking a picture to remember, I create music to capture the moment sonically. I understand that maintaining continuity and progressing in these skills requires deeper self-exploration and a greater willingness to be vulnerable.

I have moments of discouragement when I find myself repeating the same idea over and over again. Sometimes taking a break and reflecting on previous work reinstate the vision I’m aiming to achieve. I contemplate the message that I’m trying to convey before working on it and I constantly shape a theme by putting pieces together. I’m highly influenced by Joseph Campbell’s narrative framework, the hero’s journey. So, my vision takes a narrative standpoint, meaning I create art like a storyteller. I believe that a project needs to go through a journey to mature and come together effectively. This journey consists of the daily challenges we face, both self-induced and those we encounter in life. It’s about facing and overcoming these challenges, and then expressing that journey through an artistic medium for other creatives who experience similar struggles. Hoping that my work can inspire those who are going through a difficult time.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Salah, a breaker from Oman. I began dancing around 2009, at the age of 10, as a fun after-school activity until it became a habit that opened doors for exploring other arts. I participated in numerous competitions across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, and I won the Red Bull BC One Qatar Cypher twice, qualifying me for the Middle East and Africa qualifications in 2012 and 2013. That was when I lived in Qatar and was a member of the Mighty Jokerz Crew, which was responsible for organizing the World B-Boy Classic Middle East qualification twice, along with Urban Roots Society. However, there are a few dancers in Oman who inspire me to continue dancing, such as Legend Crew and SNK Revo. They constantly travel for international events and also organize dance events in Oman.

I then moved to the U.S. for my studies, during which I took a break from participating in competitions. My approach to training changed when I stopped thinking about battling an opponent. Instead, I started writing down concepts in an attempt to create a framework that would guide my movements and improve my form in dancing. The main reason was seeing the concepts used in teaching contemporary dance, such as the body’s center of gravity, Laban Movement Analysis, and Bartenieff Fundamentals. I wanted to develop a structure for improvisation in breaking, at least for myself, rather than simply memorizing a set of moves. Based on my obsession with explanatory diagrams and frameworks, I created a simple diagram illustrating ‘Form Foundation’ to guide me as I plan to develop it further focusing on motion factors and body mechanics.

Additionally, I have created an abstract diagram called the “Clown’s Hat,” based on my personal understanding, which illustrates a mindset for approaching training. Using specific shapes commonly found in science textbooks, I aim to memorize the approach through their meaningful significance. Logically, balancing a circle on the tip of a triangle is challenging, indicating that the triangle must be very stable before reaching the color wheel section. I aim to use these concepts in a booklet for educational purposes, hoping to shift the focus from a mere skill-versus-skill approach in breaking to incorporating more storytelling and context.

I also create music, which has become a key part of my journey as I explore history and mythology alongside it. My idea was to create music that reflects my origins, incorporating live atmosphere recordings and samples of traditional Arabic music to immerse listeners in the experience of our cities and villages. Since Oman’s culture is a blend of African and Asian influences, a rich variety of traditions can be found here. One of my interests is the occult and the rituals that have been borrowed and preserved in Oman. I see that my music ignites a connection to that belief system, or at least I’m aiming to capture that essence. When I work on music, I’m always experimental, and sometimes the results surprise me. What excites me is the process of searching for a rhythm, creating a melody, and exploring the intricacies of electronic music.

After some time in the music scene, numerous producers began to emerge who combined hip-hop with electronic genres such as drum and bass (Dnb) and electronic dance music (EDM). We formed a collective called “Brainpsyc” to bring our innovative sound to a wider audience. This collective slowly ventured into other fields and isn’t just focused on music but also works in animation, film, and performance.

As a way to become more involved in the art scene in Oman, @creativeminds_prod and I launched a project called Ma’na, where we interview artists to explore the meaning behind their art. The word ‘Ma’na’ is an Arabic term that means ‘meaning,’ which is the core question we build each interview upon. We focused on musicians, actors, and performers who shared their stories of how they began their journey. The idea was to create a platform for artists to speak, as there is minimal support for such platforms in Oman. Through this project, we built a sufficient base to host our first event, ‘Come As You Are,’ on January 5th, 2024, which was a success, drawing around 150 people. Our goals for the event were to support local talent and provide booth space for local brands, with a focus on music, fashion, and dance.

Here are the Instagram page links for the crews and organizations mentioned:
Legend Crew: instagram.com/legend_crew_official
SNK Revo: instagram.com/s.n.k_revo_crew
Urban Roots Society: instagram.com/ursmag
Mighty Jokerz Crew: instagram.com/mighty_jokerz_crew_
Creative Minds Productions: instagram.com/creativemindsproductions
BrainPsyc: instagram.com/brainpsyc
Ma’na: instagram.com/mana_move
Iasuq: instagram.com/iasuq
Saad_busaidi: instagram.com/saad_busaidi

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1- Patience
Patience is one of the most underrated skills. In this transitional period, where everything seems to be rapidly developing, often highlighted on social media, it’s easy to compare ourselves to what’s out there. We might start doubting our potential for greater achievements because we can’t yet match the level of artistry of those who are continually posting on social media. Developing the ability to stay calm and focused is essential for creatives. It allows them to work through their ideas and bring something meaningful to life, creating out of passion and inspiring others in the process.

2- Openness
I’ve found that exploring different fields has taught me a lot. In my daily life, I work as an inspector engineer, overseeing sites and labor, which has helped me develop a keen attention to detail. Listening to customers and meeting their deadlines has also given me insight into how to manage my own projects with greater care. Sometimes it’s not just about what you love; testing your discipline beyond the art also plays a crucial role. Being open to new experiences, even if they don’t directly align with your art career, often brings benefits that can enhance your artistic work.

3- Professionalism

I’ve spent considerable time trying to understand what a finished product should look like, and I still find it challenging to figure it out. Being independent means you need to educate yourself in various areas to successfully complete a project. Wrapping up a project or task often requires coming to an internal agreement on when to stop adding to it. Knowing when to stop involves recognizing that further additions might not significantly improve the outcome and could complicate things. By professionalism, I mean completing projects thoroughly so you can move on to the next one with a clear and fresh mindset

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m always open to collaborating and sharing with fellow artists and technical experts who use their skills to inspire others. Visual artists, lighting experts, and costume designers can all contribute significantly if they’re open to collaboration and discussion.

Salahalraisi@hotmail.com

Contact Info:

• Instagram: salaah_dd1n
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salahuddin.alraisi
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/salahwuddin

Image Credits

Quasi Al Nasri (Photo#1 – Personal photo)
Saad Busaidi (photo#3 + photo#4 + photo#7)
Nika Kramer (photo#8)