Voice winner Murad Bouriki wants 'to be remembered'

As the first winner of MBC’s Arab talent show The Voice Ahla Sawt, Murad Bouriki doesn’t have big shoes to fill; rather the daunting task of paving a new path for future hopefuls. The Moroccan native triumphed over another 23 finalists in December of last year, but took nearly a year to release his debut record. Does the singer feel like he waited too long?

“The saying goes, ‘To arrive late is better than to fail in arriving at all’,” Bouriki told tabloid! following an interview with radio station Hayat FM. “I wanted to take my time and choose songs with care so I can give the audience something worthwhile, not just put together anything and hand it off to them.”

Bouriki is proud of the final product, an album by the name Mabrook Al Ihsas (Congratulations on the Sense) that saw a 2013 Eid release. Now, he awaits the public’s reaction and hopes for the best.

The singer is not alone — he’s one of many talent show winners dreaming to make a mark in the Arab world. Winner of the 2013 Arab Idol, Palestinian heartthrob Mohammad Assaf, has perhaps had the most notable success in recent times, recognised in the spheres of music and politics alike.

Though Bouriki only caught glimpses of this year’s Arab Idol when it was airing, he’s quick to sing Assaf’s praises, saying: “He’s a true artist. We thank God that Palestine gives us such beautiful voices like Mohammad Assaf. I’m all for beautiful voices and artists who honour the Arab world.”

Variety of shows

When asked whether he thinks the new abundance of Arab talent shows lessens their individual impact — something that Lebanese megastar Ramy Ayach suggested in a recent interview with tabloid! — Bouriki respectfully disagrees, saying he appreciates the variety and uniqueness of each show.

“It’s like having a flower bouquet. If you fill a flower bouquet with only one colour of roses, it wouldn’t be appealing. But if you have a mix of white roses and red roses and so on, it will, of course, be more beautiful.”

In the end, Bouriki is just happy to be following his lifelong dream of making music, and has only one wish for the future: “To be remembered.”