Looking forward to many more wriiten pieces by my sister :D

Project 26 to open for Outlandish at Voices for Change

By FEDA MANASRAH, Guest Writer

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Kicking off the summer, the Muslim American Society introduced talent competitions across the United States, giving today’s youth the opportunity to use their "Voices for Change."

Each regional winner will get the opportunity of a lifetime – to be the opening act for Denmark based musical sensation Outlandish, during their first American tour this summer.

Outlandish hopes for a better understanding of their music and appreciation for the message that it sends to their listeners.

The west coast regional competition between the five finalists took place at the MAS Youth Center in Rancho Cucamonga on May 17.

First up to perform in front of some tough spectators and sturdy judges Murad Mayreh, Kellie Huynh and Mustapha Eshanzada was Project 26, a Muslim indie band from Corona compromised of band mates Mudassir Ahmed and brothers Ali and Omair Qazi.

"Our songs are based on who we are and what our experiences have been," said Omair Qazi. "We write about anything ranging from politics and history to the Muslim American experience, in hopes that people are moved through our music to take action, whether it is for personal reform, or for a social cause."

Muna Beg and Samar Elaraby were invited to the final round based on their slam poetry. Beg’s performance was titled "I am Muslim" and Elarby’s called "In and Out, a Palestinian Without a Doubt." Both women let their words define who they are and what they represent. The passion and truth behind their lyrics hit you hard, like a big overhand from Mohammed Ali. In the words of the judges, "a more powerful delivery" and some "umph" would have made their performances "flawless." However with two more talented individuals and performances the competition was far from over.

Ashar Shah, the hip-hop artist known as Manifest One, and high school senior Sameer Patel who goes by the name SMP, each performed songs that were relatable for youth today and easy to understand.

Although both are amateur artists, they delivered songs as immensely strong as professionals.

Mayreh said that "they brought a profound new element to hip-hop with their lyrics and the engaging ways they kept the audience alive."

After a long deliberation among the judges and anticipation from the performers and the audience, the judges announced that a second performance by Project 26 would allow them to make a final decision between the competitors.

Project 26’s lyrical and instrumental talent shined through. Their message of God’s guidance in an individual’s life and the importance of the journey earned them the grand prize and they were named the official opening act for the concert at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim on June 21.

"All I can say is that we had put in a great effort for this audition and it finally paid off," Qazi said.