10 October 2021 www.bahrainthismonth.com WHO IS XENAI? Xenai – the name needs no introduction to most as this young musician has effectively mesmerised listeners in the Kingdom, and beyond, with his eclectic vibe and current sound with releases like Headphones and Walking on the Moon. “I would say my music is very much who I am as a person - the fact that I have a hard time finding where I come from and am also very distant from any particular cultural centre. I can’t say I’m either this or that,” he says, adding that growing up in Bahrain has also played a huge role when it comes to inspiration. He strongly believes that the cultural fabric of the Kingdom influences his music. “We’re in such close proximity to each other it’s hard to not be exposed to one another’s culture, way of life and more. So, being in the centre of it all I always felt like a nomad or an alien… floating from one thing to another. I truly feel like my music reflects that,” he explains. Renowned Bahrain-based musician, Ashwin ‘Xenai’ Shenoy’, talks about his journey with music with Farah Baig in this tell- all. From taking a leap of faith to overcoming a life-changing physical challenge, a consistent need for inner discovery and more - we find out what makes Xenai an interstellar musician. For those that are familiar with the region, Bahrain has long been known to be a bustling hub for creatives. Visionary artists, exuberant designers and masterful musicians have graced the Kingdom with creative works that they have poured their heart and soul into – masterpieces that drive your own thoughts and resonate with your emotions too. interview A UNIVERSAL SOUND His new releases are to be celestial in nature – each song being a planet explored. “That’s why you’ll start to see my new releases are all going to be planets because every song is a different world I enter and I try to share that and bring people on a journey of inner discovery. That’s where Alien from Inner Space comes from,” he says. HIS JOURNEY WITH MUSIC “Music was always around me growing up,” he says. “My dad would play the keyboard and tablas at parties while my maternal grandfather played the veena and participated at competitions. Then there were my neighbours who played everything from rock to hip hop.” Inspired and surrounded by music, Xenai soon found solace in the guitar at the age of thirteen. “I started to, almost naturally, excel at it. This was of course with the guidance of my teachers: Manny from Room2Rock and Ramil from Bahrain Music Institute. Everyone in my life played a huge role in my musical upbringing,” he beams. Like most people, he reached a crossroad when it was time to go off to university. “I excelled at Physics and design and loved the idea of architecture or industrial design, so I applied to a bunch of schools and ended up getting offered scholarships, but something didn’t feel right,” he says. “I knew in my gut that this wasn’t the path for me and told my parents I wanted to audition for Berklee and they freaked out.” After changing their minds in his favour, Xenai applied to just one music college – Berklee. “I took a leap of
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