Tamino

Belgian-Egyptian singer-songwriter Tamino played to an enraptured audience at Camden’s iconic Roundhouse and it was nothing short of magical! Supported by U.S. indie-folk artist Searows, whose calm and soothing set felt like a deep breath before the emotional whirlwind Tamino would soon take us through.

This London date was part of a huge European tour for his third album, Every Dawn’s a Mountain, which dropped back in March. It follows on from his hugely successful earlier albums, Amir (2018) and Sahar (2022) and, judging by the crowd, his music clearly still hits deep. The crowd itself was young, diverse and about 80–85% female with many wearing hijabs, al-amiras, and shaylas. The energy in the room felt open, safe, and welcoming.

Cocooned in the warmth of the community around me, I found myself chatting easily with couples on either side of me and, before long, Tamino was walking onstage. You could feel anticipation ripple through the venue. As the cheers died down, the room slipped into this almost sacred silence, like everyone knew we were about to witness something special.

He began with the sombre ‘My Heroine’, one of seven tracks played from the new album. It’s drenched in his signature vocal reverb, giving it this haunting and intimate feel. Of course, there's no ignoring his stage presence. Tamino’s striking looks and silhouette often draw comparisons to Jeff Buckley, with whom he shares an incredible three-octave vocal range. Like Buckley, Tamino’s music is profoundly sincere.

You can hear elements of his influences throughout the set. 'Raven', for example, taps into this atmospheric, moody groove that feels very Thom Yorke. It’s got an eerie, Eraser-esque dance vibe that really sticks with you. As the set goes on, there was a grungy Soundgarden edge coming through, thanks to his band, and Tamino's own love of Chris Cornell. I heard some subtle notes of Turin Brakes and Damien Rice as well.

I did notice on ‘Sanctuary’, his duet with Mitski, that without her delicate vocals the track didn’t quite land the same way live. Spellbound by his Sahar material, I stopped thinking any further on that, and was swept even further along to 'Elegy' and 'Sleep Talking'.

As the main event, Tamino mostly moved through the set without much chatter, but he did drop in a random fact about the Roundhouse being originally built as a turntable engine shed. Tamino is a man of few words but, when he speaks, is full of purpose and intent.

'Tummy' was a clear audience favourite and, obviously, everyone lost it for ‘Indigo Night’. He even paused to let his harem sing the lyrics to him! I will say, you could tell how much he appreciates his audience. He stopped mid-intro to check in with us, and even got security to bring water to the front row.

During the climax of ‘Habibi’, he didn’t quite reach all the high notes but no one seemed to mind. If anything, it made the moment feel more human. At the end of the night, everyone was clearly emotional. It was a set full of melancholy, awe and intrigue. I reckon, he has potential Bond theme contender written in his future. (Fingers crossed!)

Setlist:
1. My Heroine
2. Raven
3. The First Disciple
4. Willow
5. Sanctuary
6. The Flame
7. A Drop of Blood
8. My Dearest Friend and Enemy
9. Elegy
10. Sleep Talking
11. Tummy
12. Persephone
13. w.o.t.h.
14. Indigo Night
15. Babylon

Encore:
16. Dissolve
17. Habibi

Photo Credit: James Wyncoll