Smooching with Sharm’s answer to Elvis.

Your Guide in Sharm El Sheikh

Smooching with Sharm’s answer to Elvis.

When romance is in the air there is nothing quite like a slow dance with your loved one to a classic ballad or your own special song. If you pop in to The Lounge in Naama Bay the resident singer Mark can be found most nights performing everything from rock ‘n’ roll to reggae via Robbie (Williams that is). He is probably the closest thing Sharm has to a human jukebox with over 200 different songs he performs regularly and the crazy ability to sing practically any song requested of him. I went to see him perform and managed to grab him during a short break. I was feeling naughty so my first question was perhaps a little harsh.

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Mark is it true you can sing anything? What if I wanted something by Maroon 5 or James Blunt?

I couldn’t do those without very tight trousers on! (laughs) I could play you the track but my vocal range doesn’t quite stretch that high.

Your repertoire seems huge and covers a variety of styles, what do you like performing best?

Anything by Elvis and things that get the audience going; I like to interact with the crowd and really enjoy it when they are having a good time.

Would it be true to say Presley is your hero? I know some people have referred to you as “Sharm Elvis”

Yes, blame my Dad for that one. He was a huge influence on me musically and I grew up listening to Elvis Presley, Billy Fury – basically all the heroes of the ‘50’s and 60’s.

(Feeling naughty again) So would you consider going the whole way to become an impersonator – sparkly jumpsuit, wig, glasses etc.?

(Expletives deleted) – roughly translated to “Not a chance”

Have you always been musical? Did you have a career in music before coming to Sharm?

Yes I have always been musical. When I was younger I played piano, cornet, guitar and the stylophone.

Stylophone?  You mean one of those toy organ things?

You try playing one, they aren’t easy – (more laughing) – but no I wasn’t able to work as a musician before I came to live here.

Has it been easy making a career here?

No. It has taken me 2 years to build up a following and find my place in the music scene here. It has been hard work and I’ve performed in many venues before The Lounge. I must be the only singer to have gigged at every British Bar in Sharm as well as a fair few hotels and of course in the shower! When I first came to Sharm I had been offered work in one of the big hotels but that unfortunately fell through because it was around 2011 and things here were in a state of flux shall we say.

 

 

So what prompted the job offer?

I was a guest at the hotel and did a couple of songs with the two lovely ladies singing there. That was the first time I met Joleene and Janey. The General Manager Mr. Ali thought I was good enough to invite back as their resident singer. That was quite an achievement for someone who really hadn’t done any professional singing before and made me feel a little nervous to say the least.

Did you find the musicians here in Sharm helpful to the ‘new kid’?

Yes, I got a lot of support from Joleene, Janey and also Essam – who is a fabulous guitarist. They all encouraged me and helped me fine tune my voice and setlist. Janey is in the UK now but it is always great to get together with Essam and Joleene to jam – when we get a chance – everyone is always so busy. Perhaps that is why it tends to be at 4am!!

Where do you see you music taking you? Do you have plans for the future?

I’ve been offered work in both the UK and Denmark but I don’t want to leave Sharm right now. I enjoy my life here too much and I like to take each day as it comes. You never know what is round the corner, although here it is likely to be a bloomin’ camel.

I understand you have quite a following among the older residents of Sharm, do you think that is because of the type of songs you sing or do you sing those songs because they like them?

Both. It is a kind of chicken and egg situation. They like me because of the songs I sing and I like to sing things they enjoy. I really appreciate their support and they are all lovely people – a bit old for groupies but definitely friends now. It is always surprising how many people love the old songs, particularly Elvis, just the other day a young Russian guy was sharing my gig on Skype to his cousin in Moscow! World fame at last – (more laughing).

Mark’s break was over so he went back to singing and I sipped a cool beer and tried to make sense of my scribbled notes. The one thing that I’d certainly found out was that he has a sense of humour as well as a great voice.

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