\u201cTo tell you the truth, I don\u2019t think about it much because it just happened to be the circumstance that no one was doing it,\u201d he reflects. \u201cThere\u2019ll always be firsts. My priority is about putting out something with quality and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
That commitment\u2014to craft over credit\u2014has defined his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Hendrix at the Beginning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Before his Les Pauls and thunderous riffs, Mestarihi\u2019s first steps were guided by the psychedelic magic of Jimi Hendrix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe first riff I ever learned was \u2018Purple Haze\u2019<\/em>,\u201d he says with a grin. \u201cIf you listen to my music, in addition to Guns and Van Halen, you\u2019ll hear little Hendrix-esque inflections all over the shop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those subtleties\u2014bends, phrasing, melodic twists\u2014are now deeply embedded in his playing. They echo not just Hendrix\u2019s influence, but a wider philosophy: always absorbing, always evolving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though his foundations lie in hard rock and metal, Mestarihi\u2019s travels exposed him to Spain\u2019s deep guitar culture\u2014flamenco, classical, and regional traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI definitely look up to players like Paco de Luc\u00eda,\u201d he says. \u201cEven traditional music like Los Marisme\u00f1os. Spain in general has a special place in my heart\u2014it\u2019s one of my favorite places in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The influence shows in songs like \u201cDogtown,\u201d<\/em> where a Latin break sneaks into the guitar solo. \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly flamenco rhythms,\u201d<\/em> he admits, \u201cbut the melody and note choices are of that vein.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If Hendrix was the beginning, Guns N\u2019 Roses were the ignition. They were the band that pushed him to chase music seriously\u2014and in 2023, fate brought things full circle when Mestarihi\u2019s band Winterburn opened for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s still surreal to me,\u201d he admits. \u201cGuns were the band that got me on this journey for sure. To be sharing the stage, to get a nod from Duff directly and the band\u2019s crew\u2014that\u2019s the greatest feeling in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The nerves were real, but vanished once the music started. \u201cAfter speaking with Duff, we were ready. Once we hit that stage, the nerves dissipated. We were determined to win over new fans\u2014and we did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mestarihi\u2019s songwriting often starts where you\u2019d expect: with guitar riffs. But inspiration doesn\u2019t only arrive plugged into an amp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSecond, and also common, would be the melodies that come to me in the shower,\u201d he laughs. \u201cPeople might find it funny, but it\u2019s true. I\u2019ll get vocal melodies or even riff ideas while in the shower. It\u2019s strange, like something transcendental happens when I\u2019m in contact with water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s this blend of discipline and unpredictability that keeps his catalog fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s one instrument that anchors Mestarihi\u2019s life, it\u2019s the guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI never stop learning and I\u2019ve never lost interest in exploring new music and techniques,\u201d he says. \u201cMusic is the constant in my life I can\u2019t live without, so I\u2019m always inspired to play guitar and learn new stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That restless spirit is what\u2019s kept him pushing forward across multiple albums\u2014always searching for new textures, always growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On stage, his setup is straightforward but powerful. His mainstay is a Gibson Les Paul Traditional, with a Standard as backup. When needed, he rotates in Gibson Explorers and Flying Vs. Strings are DR Hi-Beams 9\u201346, and his amps of choice are Marshall JCM 800s, though he\u2019ll turn to a Mesa Boogie if those can\u2019t be sourced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a classic rig for a player who values tone, clarity, and raw energy over gimmicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building a rock audience in the Middle East is still a battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt fluctuates,\u201d Mestarihi explains. \u201cSometimes there\u2019s a lot of interest, then it quiets down. But it\u2019s picking up again\u2014I see a lot of bands performing and putting out music, and major acts are making regular tour stops in our region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His own success\u2014especially opening for Guns N\u2019 Roses\u2014proves there\u2019s an appetite. But industry backing remains an obstacle. \u201cThe main thing is getting the powers that be to support artists. But honestly, that\u2019s a global issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of Mestarihi\u2019s appeal is the way he marries accessibility with crushing riffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m a sucker for melodic music,\u201d he says. \u201cI always say a good song is a good song regardless of genre. At the same time, I love heavy, hard-hitting stuff\u2014things that shake you to the core and make you want to groove. I think subconsciously that\u2019s what comes out when I write.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His catalog proves it: heavy enough for headbangers, tuneful enough for casual listeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each record has shown growth, from the retro-tinged 1987<\/em> to the more mature Praed Street<\/em> and Winterburn\u2019s Ivory Towers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can hear a lot of evolution in terms of my playing and songwriting,\u201d he says. \u201cNow with our upcoming record, we\u2019re incorporating new sounds. I\u2019m a massive funk fan, so we have a few funk rock songs. I\u2019ve also started writing more straight-to-the-point songs\u2014sometimes I don\u2019t even put in guitar solos if they don\u2019t serve the song. I think it\u2019s all down to maturing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asked what he\u2019d say to young guitarists in Madrid and beyond, his answer is simple and sincere:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe yourself. Be authentic. Don\u2019t ever give up. Just keep at it no matter how bleak things get. There\u2019s always a silver lining.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if he could collaborate with any Spanish guitarist? \u201cAryan King and El Amir Haddad. Aryan\u2019s more blues-oriented, which is the root of my playing, and El Amir is closer to my shred side. Both are fantastic players.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pressed to define his sound in a single phrase, Mestarihi doesn\u2019t hesitate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s got to be melodic, groovy, and original.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That formula\u2014rooted in Hendrix, sharpened by Guns N\u2019 Roses, colored by flamenco, and carried by relentless authenticity\u2014is what keeps Naser Mestarihi\u2019s music resonating from Doha to Madrid, and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Naser Mestarihi released his first record, he inadvertently carved his name into Middle Eastern music history. Hailed as the first rock musician to officially release an album from Qatar, Mestarihi has become a torchbearer for hard rock in a region where the genre remains underground. Yet for him, the pioneering title was never the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23892"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23892\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23897,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23892\/revisions\/23897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\nSpanish Strings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nFull Circle with Guns N\u2019 Roses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/212be114-bb41-436c-a6b8-2aa2149e4684-edited.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWriting: From Riffs to Showers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Guitar as a Constant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTools of the Trade<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nChallenges in the Middle East<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMelody Meets Heaviness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEvolution: From 1987<\/em> to Funk Rock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nAdvice to Madrid\u2019s Next Generation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Shape of His Sound<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n