Sweet HayaH
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Sweet HayaH

San Jose, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011

San Jose, California, United States
Established on Jan, 2011
Band Rock Funk

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Music

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"Grrrl Scene #2 at the Ritz"

Sweet HayaH
GRRRL SCENE #2 AT THE RITZ IN SAN JOSE FEATURING SWEET HAYAH

I was very happy to be invited to a Rock and Roll show last Saturday the 22nd in downtown San Jose by the lovely Nehal Abuelata. Nehal performed with Sweet HayaH at the Ritz located at 400 S First Street at the Grrrl Scene #2 with Snakeskin, Wallace, and Mother’s Worry. Grrrl Scene #2 was a focus on the ladies of Rock and Roll and presented a very different type of line up, with all of the groups that performed offering a different style of music. I really enjoyed each group, and I was able to see some really good live music. I would love to go to Grrrl Scene #3 in the future, sign me up now please.

With the event focusing on the ladies, I wanted to do the same thing with my camera. I really like the results, and I thought the lighting at the venue gave me some nice color in my photos. Because I focused on the ladies as a group, and not each individual group that performed, I chose to present the images as one large group of photos. So all of the images are shuffled and in no particular order. This is the second show I have photographed at the Ritz and I used my Sony NEX-5R with the 18-55 mm lens again because it is small and convenient, but gives me strong results. I am seeing the NEX-5R giving me nice clean images in low light conditions.

Big Giant Thank You to ….

Snakeskin, Wallace, Mother’s Worry, Sweet HayaH, Nehal Abuelata, The Ritz, and all of the fantastic people that I have met at this event and all the other events that show me support. I really appreciate all of the great friendships I have made since the start of this website. Support your local artists. Go see Nehal perfom with Sweet HayaH, she is awesome, and go see Mother’s Worry, Snakeskin, and Wallace. -


"South Bay band Sweet HayaH serves up soulful, eclectic tunes in Cupertino"

South Bay band Sweet HayaH (pronounced high-yah) has crafted a premium blend of quintessential American music--from rock to soul to funk--and they can serve it up with a high-energy punch or with a laid back groove that eases the mind.

A fusion of two languages, the band's name means Sweet Life in English and Arabic. Continuing in that spirit of synthesis, the group members have tossed their talents and influences together to create their own brand of music--a "genre salad," they joke.

The release concert for Sweet HayaH's first fully produced 12-track album, "Gentle Lies," and the start of a national tour kicks off with a local show 8 p.m. April 8 at Homestead Bowl and The X Bar, 20990 Homestead Road, Cupertino.

"It's not just one category that we're able to stick to," says Nehal Abuelata, singer, keyboardist and lyricist.

Abuelata was born in Egypt and lived most of her childhood in France. She's fluent in four languages, some of which she uses in her lyrics, which gives the music even more of an eclectic vibe.

The now six-member group has been together officially since 2011, when "one fateful night" Abuelata joined a few of the guys on stage at an open mic night.

Guitarist Devin Moreno, bassist Aaron Marquez and drummer Josh Gardner made up that original trio. Trumpeter Brandon Garcia and percussionist Kosuke Okamura have since joined to round out the group's robust sound.

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"We've had really good chemistry musically," she said. "We all play music for personal reasons but also one collective reason, and that is finding a way of combining integrity and fun to connect with our audience."

The singer says she is "slightly hyper" by nature and music is her outlet.

"I've had a hard time containing that in a school or an office; it's that moment when you just let go of everything," Abuelata said, adding it's good to blow off steam by kicking and punching the air while belting out tunes.

The band's clear influences of soul, rock, blues, reggae, ska and metal are held together with Abuelata's expressive voice, the smooth guitar and bass, a crunchy trumpet and pumped up percussion.

But an icing on top of this already sweet mix of ingredients are the lyrics, said Abuelata, who takes pride in writing what she feels and what she hopes can move others.

"As someone who has been highly influenced by lyricists, I hope someone will listen to the lyrics and have an understanding," she said. "You want to have some form of impact and the music speaks volumes. The more you put out there, the bigger chance you have to make a connection."

The music and lyrics are layered with elements that run the gamut of musical genres so those connections become even more likely.

"There's a high energy and dynamic that we're able to make as a team," Abuelata said.

To check out Sweet HayaH's tracks and next appearances, visit sweethayah.com.

Sweeeet! - San Jose Mercury News


Discography

Sweet Awakening (2013)

Photos

Bio

HayaH is the Arabic and Hebrew word for “life", and Sweet HayaH has a lust for life that pulsates through the music they create. Sweet HayaH is a high-energy festival band, but don’t think that the sweetness makes them pure sugar. There is genuine musical complexity layered into their Rock-Soul-Funk blend, and if there was to be one band to represent the diversity of culture and exuberance found in the Bay Area it would be Sweet HayaH. All of the members of Sweet HayaH were first local musicians in their own right, and since they converged the band’s reach has grown bigger and bigger. Sweet HayaH has kept up an impressive touring schedule and taken their high energy live show all over in 2015 including a run to SXSW. Sweet HayaH has had the honor of performing with some great bands and artists along the way sharing the stage with living legends like Robby Krieger of The Doors and Pauline Black with The Selecter.

It doesn’t matter whether Sweet HayaH are opening or headlining, whether they are playing to their local following or to new audiences, Sweet HayaH always puts on the type of show that gets them invited back. The connection they make with the audience is palpable, and their dedication to their community and music scene is deep. Sweet HayaH loves to make their shows a platform for local talent to guest star, and for people to connect through music. According to their producer Todd Jeremias, the band's energy and vibe are the perfect backdrop for their exceptionally gifted front woman Nehal Abuelata who often draws comparisons to legendary vocalists like Tina Turner, Carol King, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse even Janis Joplin to name a few...

Sweet HayaH released its first fully produced 12-track album "Gentle Lies" in April 2016, and has been playing to growing festival audiences since then. Through live and studio performances, the group’s dynamics and interactive nature continue to invite more sweethearts to join in the celebration of life.

Band Members