Bassel & The Supernaturals bringing Midwest soul to Cedar Rapids

Syrian heart, Midwest soul is the way Bassel Almadani describes his music. The laid-back singer/songwriter is a first-generation American, who has spent considerable time in Syria, where his parents were born and raised.

American recording artists have had a major impact on Almadani. His self-described Midwest soul sounds may mutually exclusive.

“But that isn’t so,” Almadani said while calling from his Lakewood, Ohio, home. “I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life, and I love it — and there is soul in the Midwest.”

Audiences will hear that when his band, Bassel & The Supernaturals, comes to CSPS in Cedar Rapids on Thursday night, May 23, 2024.

Musical evolution

Almadani, 36, embraced American music and culture, which helped him fit in after 9/11.

“That was a strenuous time for anyone like me,” he said. “I had to be careful. But fortunately, I grew up in Kent, Ohio, which is a college town.”

Almadani gravitated toward Kent’s fertile independent rock scene during the 2000s. Such sensitive and cerebral recording artists as Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird and Death Cab for Cutie influenced him.

“Being a fan of that style of music helped me be part of things,” he said. “But it also inspired me to become a musician.”

It’s common for first-generation children from Middle Eastern parents to be pressured into more secure vocations.

“There was the push to study my butt off so I could get into medical or law school,” Almadani said. “But I gravitated toward music, and that’s how I kept my sanity. Music has always been so therapeutic for me. I channeled my energy into something positive. I played violin and drums when I was growing up.”

After moving to Chicago, Almadani left indie rock behind for soul music.

“It was a stylistic shift for me,” he said. “I had a rebirth in Chicago. It was a lonely experience initially. I had some intense personal experiences.”

His car was stolen and the house he was staying in burned down.

“But I persevered, and it got better.”

Such icons as Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Al Green and Etta James also had an impact on the fledgling singer/songwriter.

“Those artists moved me and helped me become who I am today,” he said

Almadani and his band craft soulful, funky and at times jazzy tunes. They scored some acclaim showcasing the album “Elements” at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. Almadani earned acclaim courtesy of the song “Lost,” which is about his young cousin who was fatally caught in a crossfire, a casualty of the ongoing conflict in Syria.

In service to Syria

Almadani took it to another level after returning from a service trip to Istanbul in September 2019 while working with displaced Syrians. The experience inspired the 2020 album “Smoke & Mirrors."

“Most Americans have no idea what’s happening with Syrians,” Almadani said.

However, he immerses himself in the plight of Syrians. His story was recently chronicled courtesy of a PBS special, “The Expressway with Dule Hill,” which aired earlier in the month. The program focused on Almadani's story as a product of Syrian immigrants and the challenges growing up Muslim in America after 9/11. Almadani’s music is featured as his way of assimilating and connecting. A light also shines on the plight of refugees.

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“It’s amazing to have the PBS special,” Almadani said. “I haven’t seen the whole episode yet, but it’s pretty surreal. You’ll see what my mission is about, which is breaking down barriers. It’s great that more people will discover my music through the special, but they need to know what’s happening with Syrians. More than half a million people in Syria have been annihilated since 2011, and more than 12 million have been displaced.”

Almadani is thankful that he was born and raised in America and has the ability to make music.

“I’m very fortunate,” he said. “I love what I do, and we’re working on more songs.”

No new ruts

Bassel & The Supernaturals will release an EP in 2024.

“We have a lot of new music to preview,” he said. “We have a new song called ‘Break Free,’ which has a drum solo in it. It’s pretty cool.”

Almadani’s parents got over their son’s decision not to go the practical route.

“My parents are definitely proud of the work I’m doing,” he said. “I’m glad I have their support, since I’ve gone in a different direction. It’s not easy what I’m doing. Life on the road can be difficult.”

Indeed. In 2017, the bands’s van was stuck in the mud in Iowa.

“I don’t remember exactly where that happened in Iowa, but we knocked on the door of a stranger’s house and they helped,” Almadani said. “They drove out their tractor, which rescued our 15-passenger van. Hopefully nothing like that happens in Iowa when we come back to perform.”