Thursday, September 7, 2023 – 7:38 PM
ABU DHABI, 7th September, 2020 (WAM) — The Abu Dhabi Group for Culture and Arts and the Abu Dhabi Festival, in partnership with the Barenboim-Saeed Academy and the Pierre Boulez Hall, will organize next Wednesday the activities of the seventh edition of the “Days of Arab Music” in the German capital, Berlin. The “Days of Arab Music”, which runs until September 17, celebrates the international conductor Daniel Barenboim, who is awarded by the German-Arab Society the Frederick II Medal in recognition of his life’s achievement full of cultural, musical and educational benevolence.
In this context, Her Excellency Hoda Ibrahim Al-Khamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Group for Culture and Arts, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, indicated that the Arab Music Days of the Abu Dhabi Festival in Berlin embody the brilliant Arab presence globally, and reflect the nobility of musical traditions and the authenticity of contemporary Arab culture in its creative expression of identity and knowledge heritage. And the civilized. She said: “In cooperation with our strategic partner, the Barenboim-Saeed Academy and the Pierre Boulez Hall, we continue to present the finest Arab musical works within the program of the Abu Dhabi Festival abroad, in order to enhance the Arab presence, the dialogue of cultures, and human communication through music and the arts.”
She added: “This year, the Abu Dhabi Festival will present Naseer Shamma, Professor of Oud and UNESCO Artist for Peace, and a number of the most prominent Arab Oud players from Iraq, Egypt and Switzerland, where the European audience will be for a whole week, on a date with Arabic music accompanied by special evenings of productions.” Cinema, Literature and Fine Arts.
A bouquet of masterpieces will be presented by a number of the most prominent musicians from the Arab House of Oud. The days of Arab music will celebrate the oud in its new version and the role of that instrument in contemporary culture. The oud instrument of all kinds will sound at the festival, along with the saxophone and stringed musical instruments.
The concerts will be presented by Ahmed Shamma and Islam Taha, the Bait Al Oud Trio in Cairo led by Sherine Tohamy, the Bait Al Oud Trio in Abu Dhabi, and Nihad Al Sayed.
The event program aims to shed light on contemporary Arab culture, and includes a workshop and an art exhibition, through which musical instrument makers present their visions about the craft of making instruments. The artist and jewelry designer Azza Al Qubaisi will also participate in the event by displaying her artistic creations, including gold and silver sculptures and others designed of wood and steel. And silver, which will contribute to highlighting the culture and identity of the United Arab Emirates.
During the concerts, a number of Arab poets will present their poetic works to the audience, including poet Fawzia Abu Khaled from Saudi Arabia and Lorca Sbeiti from Lebanon.
It is noteworthy that the oud player Naseer Shamma is considered one of the most prominent oud players and teachers in the world, as he was trained at the Institute of Musical Studies in Baghdad by the Iraqi professor Mounir Bashir, and joined the teaching for five years since 1993 at the Music Institute in Tunisia. In 1998, he established the first Oud house in Cairo, which is a school dedicated entirely to his musical instrument, and then opened other schools in Abu Dhabi, Alexandria, Khartoum, Baghdad and Riyadh, and participated in playing with many musicians in the world, and his musical creations combine the traditions and instruments of classical Arabic music. and those of Western music.. In 2017, he was awarded the title of UNESCO Artist for Peace.. As curator of the “Days of Arab Music,” Naseer Shamma has been working closely with the “Pierre Boulez” hall since its inauguration.
Reda Abdel Nour / Reem Al-Hajry
