AKIM Ahmad can finally breathe a sigh of relief, now that two of the biggest events in his life have passed.
Last Friday, he and his singer wife, Stacy Anam, welcomed their firstborn, a healthy baby girl he named Eshaal, at Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur around 5pm.
Three days later, on Monday, he and his band, Akim & The Majistret, held their maiden concert at the Petronas Filharmonik Hall.
“The dates were too close to each other so I was overwhelmed with anxiety and exhaustion,” the Akademi Fantasia alum said after the show.
“Right now, I’m extremely glad that they didn’t coincide. I can’t imagine what I’d do!”
Akim, 26, revealed that Stacy and their newborn were doing well and resting at home under Stacy’s mother’s care.
Akim, on the other hand, had been suffering from sleepless nights for the past week worrying about the concert and Eshaal’s birth.
“I think it was my daughter’s arrival into my life that gave me the strength I needed to perform at the concert.
“Now that the show is over, I can’t wait to go home and spend as much quality time with my family as I can.”
Akim was the one who had come up with the name Eshaal (the name of a flower in heaven in Arabic).
“The name is not finalised yet though.”
The couple, who tied the knot on Feb 5 last year, have a 5-year-old daughter, Bella Valentina, whom Stacy had adopted in 2012.
“Bella had wanted the baby to be named Ferra, but so far, she’s getting used to the name Eshaal,” Akim said.
He added that his fellow band members had been supportive throughout Stacy’s pregnancy and subsequently, Eshaal’s birth.
“Some of them are fathers themselves. They warned me that my little one will have her own ‘concert’ every couple of hours at night,” he joked.
“We put Eshaal to sleep by playing Mozart compositions. They are soothing to the baby and I.”
Akim welcomes this new transition into fatherhood wholeheartedly.
“It’s a new experience and one that I’ve been dreaming about.
“I’m stepping into new territory, but it’s the unknown that makes the journey exciting.”
Meanwhile, the band’s concert at Petronas Filharmonik Hall was packed to the brim, which makes it another dream come true for Akim.
“The fans were so supportive and sporting, which only made entertaining and performing for them all the more satisfying.”
Up next for Akim & The Majistret is working on its new album, which is expected to be a departure from their previous works.