Ana Bas Hena Bahaddi Elnofoos
'Ana Bas' which is Arabic for 'just me' stems from a track by Egyptian rapper, Mvrs. Ammar stands by the value of mindfulness, ‘Ana bas henna bahadi el nefoos’ expresses his desire to be a vessel for inner peace. The collection is made for those who stand by their values, even if it is ‘Ana Bas’.
The NoMad
Born to second generation immigrants, Mvrs' Grandparents left Egypt for Doha, where he was born and raised, before he himself immigrated to Toronto. The territory came with many trials and tribulations; before Ammar accepted his destiny as a cultural nomad. As an outside observer, he recognized his unique insight into cultural and social norms.
The Bonfire
While conceptualizing the album, Ammar looked to the desert to find inspiration. On a cold moonlit night, Ammar gathered a collection of fellow nomads; a vibrant group of local artists, creatives and close friends around a bonfire, to exchange stories long into the night. The Bonfire collection sets the tone for the album and the Summer Stories Memory Pack, with visuals that capture these lost souls finding themselves around a bonfire on a cold summer night.
The Night B4
The core value of this campaign and why Mvsri chose to collaborate with Ammar on this project. November 30th 2018 was the launch of Ammar’ Summer Stories Album listening party, again bringing together artists, friends and fans to experience the album live with Ammar. A defining moment for Ammar and the local hip-hop scene in Doha, as the first independent album listening event. December 1st 2018, Ammar receives news of his grandfather passing, after a battle with Alzheimers.
“A feeling I could not put into words that morning. It took two years to be able to truly digest that moment when my mother was done telling the news. ‘GEDDO.. البقية فحياتك’. [Grandpa.. may you live on]. Some of the simplest words he told me are rules I live by to this day: من أفسد شيئاً فعليه اصلاحه He who breaks it, fixes it."
In honour of Ammar’s grandfather, Abdulghani Abouelghar, and all our loved ones battling Alzheimers, Mvsri pledges to donate 10% of all profits from Summer Stories to the Egyptian Alzheimer Society.
