SAUDI ARABIA: Disabled Saudi teenager Milad al-Abdul Baqi develops musical skills that help him cope with everyday life

Record ID: 188246

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Disabled Saudi teenager Milad al-Abdul Baqi develops musical skills that help him cope with everyday life
  • Date: 16th April 2008
  • Summary: ABDUL BAQI LISTENING TO MUSIC ON HIS COMPUTER CLOSE UP OF ABDUL BAQI SINGING ALONG WITH MUSIC PLAYING ON HIS COMPUTER
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA6RM1PVROIR4SV3WBA0PPPC195
  • Story Text: Eighteen-year-old Saudi teenager surpasses medical analysis that initially said he would never see, hear, or walk.
    Milad al-Abdul Baqi, 18, a Saudi teenager from the small Saudi town of Safwah to the north of al-Qatif, was expected to never see, hear, talk or walk.
    When he was two-months-old, doctors gave his parents a grim report of his medical condition, saying that even if he does progress on any level, it will be minimal and he would not lead a normal life.
    Years of medical therapy and encouragement by his family have enabled Milad to defy the doctors' initial report. Although blind, he can hear, walk and speak.
    Milad has also developed a range of heightened abilities in other areas. Milad has developed astonishing musical skills, for example, spurred on by his family's love of music. Milad can sing and play a range of musical instruments.
    "I want to become like Taha Hussein and Ammar El Sherei. I want to achieve something that no one else has done before. For example, I would like to be a maestro, a blind Saudi maestro for example, or become a musical composer,'' said Milad. The late Taha Hussein, a blind Egyptian writer, is one of the most influential Arab writers of the Twentieth Century, and blind Egyptian composer and musician Ammar El Sherei is a household name throughout the Arab world.
    Milad's younger brother Emad, 16, has helped Milad develop many of his skills. The two brothers make an impressive team: while Emad strums on the Oud, a middle eastern string instrument similar to the lute, Milad sings classical Arabic songs.
    "He has musical ears so he notices any mistakes and he draws my attention to them and tells me: 'You made a mistake, correct it, that was not the right melody,'" Milad's brother Emad said.
    Emad says his brother's interest in music was evident at an early age, when, as a young child, Milad sat at a piano and started to play.
    ''If the speed of the rhythm is not correct, he will let me know. It comes naturally to him. That's it. He knows, and he has not studied (music), and (plays) without using notes or anything,'' added Emad.
    With his brother's support, Milad can use a normal computer to compose music, chat on-line with friends and write poetry.
    ''This (computer) program is called ''Will Studio'' so I got the idea that, of course, I must first do the rhythm alone, then the bass alone and then, each instrument on its own,'' said Milad of composing music on the computer.
    The teenager's father is proud of his son's development and his determination.
    ''What is most important about Milad's condition is that, when we first discovered it, we tried to look for hospitals, research the condition, and all the preliminary reports were extremely depressing, and I am holding the first report, which stated that the child (Milad) will not be able to walk, he will not be able to hear, he will not talk, except maybe with difficulty, or if he does, it will be very little," Milad's father Mohammed al-Abdul Baqi said.
    "There was an understanding between my wife and me that we would do anything possible in the hope that he (Milad) would progress, if even by one step. We did, in fact, achieve this. We worked with daily physiotherapy, daily medication, daily training, from speech therapy to hearing therapy and all kinds of therapy, which has enabled Milad to be in the form he is now, and of course this is all the result of God's grace and all the hard work,'' Mohammed al-Abdul added.
    Milad's father says the family's musical abilities have buoyed them through the challenges which Milad's condition have presented.
    ''I am proud that we are a family all of whom love music, we are a family that spends time together, we play (music), we sing. Music is truly (about) love and a giving,'' said his father.
    Milad's heightened awareness of his surroundings and his sensitivity to anything of a musical nature surpasses that of many other, non-disabled people. To demonstrate his honed sense of sound, Milad can call out a telephone number someone has dialled simply by listening to the tones created by the dialled numbers.
    ''Of course, each number has a distinct tone but the sounds are similar to one another, for example, (the tones of) four and seven and the star key are all similar to each other, and the same is the case with two, five, eight and zero. There is a minor difference but the core tone is similar,'' Milad said.
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