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 Re: جائزة الطلائع الجدد الكندية تذهب ل...وليد عبدالحميد (Re: د.نجاة محمود)
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مبروك لوليد عبد الحميد وهو اهلا له لعطائه
New Pioneer Award goes to Parkdale musician
Waleed Abdulhamid. Waleed Abdulhamid immigrated to Canada from Sudan in 1992. Abdulhamid is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, producer, filmmaker and this year’s recipient of the New Pioneer Award for arts. Staff photo/ERIN HATFIELD "There are a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds." - Waleed Abdulhamid Building a career as a musician is hard enough, never mind navigating a new language and a new culture as Waleed Abdulhamid did.
But, after immigrating to Canada from Sudan in 1992, Abdulhamid is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, producer, filmmaker and this year's recipient of the New Pioneer Award for arts.
Abdulhamid is a multi-instrumentalist and plays the guitar, bass, drums, flute, harmonica, marimba, balimbo, congas and djembe. He is known for his striking vocals, innovative bass technique, and his speed and precision on percussion.
He has been an active member of the Toronto music scene and has played and recorded with David Clayton Thomas, Jackie Richardson, Jully Black, Deborah Cox and Zaki Ibrahim and used to have a band called Radio Nomad. He is also an artist in residence at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and teaches at Humber College.
"I play a lot of instruments and I play with a lot of different artists in Toronto," Abdulhamid said.
But, getting to where he's at in his career wasn't an easy road.
"To break through the system is really difficult," Abdulhamid explained.
Abdulhamid, who lives in Parkdale, was born in Sudan in 1968, which he left for the United States, then Europe and eventually settled in Toronto in 1992. Almost instantly, he said, he fell in love with the city.
"There are a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds," Abdulhamid said. "I am in love with that; when I see people from different backgrounds and hearing different languages, it is like music to my ears."
He made ends meet by working as a bicycle courier and by busking in the subway system.
"It was not even romantic, breaking through to be where I am now," Abdulhamid said.
Abdulhamid, who has been performing since the age of six, said grasping the system of every day life was the biggest challenge he faced.
"You don't have a guide or a place where you go and they help you at that time," he said. "You had to do everything by yourself.
"But, there was a moment when I decided, 'I am an artist and I am going to work hard and whatever it takes, that is what I will be doing,'" he said.
Abdulhamid is hoping to use this award to help him help other new immigrant musicians and he hopes to work with other artists to come up with some sort of organization to help new immigrant artists.
"It may encourage or inspire newcomers to work hard on their dreams and don't give up on your dreams," he said. "Just work on it and go for it with a good spirit and you will get there."
The New Pioneers Awards Gala is organized by Skills for Change as an annual event that recognizes the accomplishments of remarkable immigrants. There are six categories for things like science, community service and entrepreneurship.
He has met his fellow New Pioneer Award recipients and Abdulhamid said they are an extremely impressive group of people.
"It is really great to be a part of this," Abdulhamid said. "I get impressed more by their stories and their minds."
Abdulhamid was nominated for the award by the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.
"They call it the Oscars of the newcomer," Abdulhamid said. "I am just lucky because I do believe there are a lot of great artists from different parts of the world here."
The New Pioneers Awards Gala takes place on March 3 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
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