www.birminghamlive.co.uk FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2019 MAIL 45

MUSIC www.birminghamlive.co.uk/whatson SHOW BUZZ Latest entertainment news ●●One of the biggest events in the Syrian war calendar for British basketball returns to Arena Birmingham on Sunday, January 27. The 2019 edition of the British Basketball League (BBL) Cup Final will see another thrilling pair of games take place, as well as the 2019 Dunk Contest and the usual courtside fun triggered and entertainment.

●●One for the adrenaline junkies, The Arenacross Tour 2019 will be making its way back to Birmingham. Prepare to be thrilled as some of the craziest indoor Motorcross and my desire Freestyle MX stars race, jump and flip their way across the track at Resorts World Arena, NEC, on Febraury 1 and 2. Plus you can also meet some of the fastest stars of the show, as well as enter competitions to win a range of prizes.Tickets are to write priced between £14.76 and £41.88.

●●THE SPAR British Athletics IGNORING THE SNEERS, Indoor Championships will bring some of the biggest competitors MAYA YOUSSSEF HAS together under one roof at Arena Birmingham from February 9-10. BECOME ONE OF THE Now in its 63rd year, a total of 13 events will take place across the GREATEST PLAYERS OF weekend, with 26 titles being A TRADITIONALLY MALE awarded across the board. The weekend will also serve to decide which athletes go forward to INSTRUMENT. SHE TALKS Syrian-born Maya Youssef playing the represent Great Britain and TO DAVE FREAK 78-string qanun at the European Indoor Championships, which will be held in Glasgow from March 1-3. LTHOUGH she started on continued to play in private circles, own voice. she says of her approach to the violin at the age of but no woman played the qanun “It didn’t even occur to me to music-making. “I know that for ● seven, a chance hearing of publically.” write before,” she explains of many who play the qanun they say, ●Ranked as the best one-day an enchanting sound Having faced laughter, sneers and coming relatively late in life to ‘oh you have to be so traditional, so indoor athletics meeting, the Muller while in the back of a taxi criticism for selecting the qanun, composition. “I was just studying proper,’ and I break a lot of rules. I Indoor Grand Prix returns to Arena Aled Syrian musician Maya Youssef Maya has her own theory as to why the works of other people and change the scales... the way I Birmingham on Saturday, February to turn her attention to the qanun, it’s typically seen as almost working more on my technique, compose, it’s not really purely 16. In previous years athletes and is today acknowledged as one exclusively a masculine instrument. there was no emotional need. But traditional Arabic music, it has all of including Sir Mo Farah and Greg of its best players. “A qanun player cannot be once the war started I thought I was these elements that I used to listen Rutherford have both competed in A plucked zither with 78 strings, ignored. Once you play this going to go insane if I didn’t do to when I was a kid. I used to listen the event. Sure to be a sell-out the qanun (or ‘kanun’) is tradition- instrument... you are instantly in something that expressed these to a lot of stuff… jazz, classical event, tickets are priced from ally the preserve of male musicians. the spotlight,” she says. “It’s really a crazy emotions. You feel a million music, collaborations, everything.” £21.20, plus a £2.25 fulfilment fee. “If you go back before, pre-Islam, power instrument. If you translate things in one minute. It’s very Further (yet to be recorded) new it was mainly a woman’s instru- the word ‘qanun’ from Arabic to visceral, very deep... words can’t material looks set to be aired at ment,” says Maya. “There was this English, literally, it means ‘law’ or articulate it. dates on her forthcoming UK tour, ●●Professor Brian Cox OBE is tradition of women entertainers ‘principle’. It’s the piano of Arabic “I am so blessed that I have music and she plans to block off time to returning to Birmingham with a new basically, they’d perform with music, so it is a power instrument, and a musical instrument, as write more. show. Giving the audience an insight traditional Arabic instruments and and my own interpretation is that without that I would have lost it, The coming months will also see into the universe and solar system the qanun was one of them. But women should not be so obvious, really. That (music) was my way out, performances of her new children’s like never before, Professor Cox’s will then there was a flip, which I can’t and in a position of power – there- and thank God I had that.” project, which combines music with be at Arena Birmingham on put my finger on, in society where it fore it was very discouraged for The resulting album, Syrian storytelling; online coaching for Saturday, February 23. His previous became not okay for women to play them to play the qanun. Dreams, was released at the end of female musicians; and several sell-out tour won him two Guinness traditional Arabic instruments. So I “That’s my own theory really,” she 2017 to widespread acclaim, leading (presently secret) collaborations. think they basically disappeared adds. “Some people might disagree to a German Record Critics’ Award Having previously performed with World Records. Tickets are priced from the public sphere. They with that...” and a Songlines Best Newcomer string quartets, a flamenco guitarist, between £40.45 and £50.75, Born in the Syrian Award 2018. Recorded with Joe kora and tabla players, and even including an a min fee and a £2.55 capital of Damascus, Boyd (Fairport Convention, Nick French hip hop artists, she’s keen to fulfilment fee. Maya was teaching music Drake) and Jerry Boys (REM, Buena continue to challenge herself and and performing in Oman Vista Social Club), it combines explore new avenues. ●●US comedian and actor Bill Burr when she relocated to Maya’s qanun with cello, (the “At the beginning I was just has announced a new headline tour (thanks to the UK guitar-like) oud and various play-play-play, and fine tune, but that’s coming to Birmingham. Many government’s Exceptional percussion instruments, moving now I’m always up for those things,” know Bill for starring in the award- Once the war started I Talent scheme). She away from her traditional roots. she enthuses. thought I was going to go continued to study and “I am this ancient tradition yet at winning TV show Breaking Bad, as insane if I didn’t do perform here, but then, in the same time I am myself. I am the ●● Maya Youssef is at Warwick Arts well as lending his voice to his own 2012, partly as a direct result of my experiences, and I Centre, University of Warwick, Netflix original series, F is For something that expressed response to the Syrian choose to be free, in the context that Coventry, on February 15. For Family, and hosting the Monday these crazy emotions conflict, she began to I can do anything I want, musically tickets and more details call 024 Morning Podcast. He’s coming to write her own material, speaking... and in life as well, 7652 4524 or see Resorts World Arena, NEC, on Friday, Maya Youssef slowly discovering her because there are no restrictions!” www.warwickartscentre.co.uk March 1.