To Nostalgia for Golden Age of Arab Song
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TODAY IN 1989 1991 2005 2008 HISTORY A group of six members of the Peruvian Bicesse Accords in Angola lay out a tran- Vanity Fair reveals that Usain Bolt breaks the world re- guerrilla group Túpac Amaru Revolu- sition to multi-party democracy under Mark Felt was “Deep cord in the 100m sprint, with a tionary Movement murder eight trans- the supervision of the United Nations’ Throat”. wind-legal (+1.7m/s) 9.72 seconds sexuals in Tarapoto. UNAVEM IImission. Egypt tunes into nostalgia for golden age of Arab song melancholic songs of Syrian-born star As- douh, the company’s internet services head, fame with a relaxed style of rock and a dis- mahan and the tender rhythmic melodies of adding this has prompted many fans to dig tinctive performance of classics, such as by Egyptian singer Najat al-Saghira mix with out the original versions. Sayed Darwish often called “the father of animated conversations, modern pop music Classic black and white music video clips modern Arab music”. and Islamic chants. struggle, however, to compete against to- Although the rock stars say they are in- Torn between stage fright and joy, Adel day’s torrent of slick, ultra-modern videos. fluenced by classics, they don’t want to live performs regularly at the Arab Music Insti- Rising artists from such places as Leba- in the past. tute paying tribute to his music idols. non, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates “Nowadays you can record something During events such as the “Khulthumiat” harness millions of views on YouTube, usu- at home at a low cost,” said bassist Ahmed (the music of Umm Kulthum) or “Wahabi- ally singing in their own dialects. Hafiz. “After every era, something new ap- yat” (the music of Abdel Wahab), organised Egypt’s music scene remains vibrant, pears, these are phases.” by the 100-year old institute, Adel is often including electro Shaabi music, an exuber- The band, whose style its guitarist and the lead singer with an entire troupe from ant popular blend seen by purists as too vocalist Hani el-Dakkak describes as a blend the Cairo Opera House accompanying his raucous. of Sayed Darwish and rock band Pink Floyd, powerful vocals. And there is a new genre known as al- is also trying to distinguish itself through “These events are very successful,” said ternative, or “underground”, which has its message. Jihan Morsi, the seminal director of the emerged in recent years. “We try in our lyrics to talk about social opera’s Oriental Music department. Egyptian classical Arabic music singer Ahmad Adel performs a song by celebrated 20th century Egyptian The band Massar Egbari, which roughly problems or things that nobody else will And to soar above Cairo’s 24-hour ca - composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab, at the Arab Music Institute Theatre in the Egyptian capital Cairo translates as Compulsory Detour, rose to speak about,” said el-Dakkak. cophony, she doesn’t just look to golden oldies. “I bring (pop stars like) Angham, Saber Gulf countries vying for cultural domi- El-Robai, Wael Jassar. They are beautiful nance emerged as rivals to Egypt’s music voices that have an audience among the industry. The 2011 uprising in Egypt also youth,” said Morsi. saw a downturn in the domestic music Music production companies are also industry seeking to preserve the country’s music heritage through younger generations. Sawt al-Qahira, or Sono Cairo, a historic record company, is betting on the internet despite financial setbacks and ongoing legal battles over the copyright to Umm Kulthum songs. Known as the “Star of the Orient,” Umm Kulthum’s voice is still considered the Arab world’s finest, more than four decades after her death. And with its wide variety of classics, the record label has struck deals with YouTube and other mobile application companies to keep this heritage alive. Younger generations have also shown a renewed interest in the classics thanks to popular televised talent shows. “Arab Idol, The Voice and others show Tamer Attallah (L), drummer, Hani El Dakkak (C), lead singer and guitarist, and Mahmoud Siam (R), guitarist for Egyptian rock band Massar Egbari, warm up in a people singing old songs,” said Doaa Mam- recording studio DECODING ART of Andalusian Muslim scholar Ibn Arabi works in Jeddah and draws inspiration Dana Awartani’s exhibition was laid and a fascinating drawing from her “Ca- from Indian textile, woodwork and glass- out in a cyclical pattern and showcased liphates” series that shows the evolution work production processes. Awartani’s recent installation, “Listen of the tradition of illumination through- In addition to the artist’s works on out the history of the art. show, new pieces were created in col- to My Words” (2018), which features Awartani, who was educated at Lon- laboration with craftsmen in India over seven screens of hand embroidered don’s Central Saint Martins, lives and a four-month period leading up to the silk panels inspired by the “Jali” screen — an architectural form com- mon in traditional buildings in the In- dian Subcontinent that allows airflow in buildings, but prevents onlookers from being able to gaze in A work by Dana Awartani show. The piece “To See and Not Be ist, “All (heavenly bodies) swim along, Seen” (2018) — an embroidered-textile each in its orbit’” (2016), is on show at piece that expands on her interest in the Sharjah Art Museum and is an im- female poets in the Arab world — is one portant part of the wider Islamic arts of those. festival as it was inspired by a Qur’anic A work by Dana Awartani Another installation piece by the art- verse. Hon. Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Editor-in-Chief Mahmood AI Mahmood | Chairman & Managing Director P Unnikrishnan | Advertisement: Update Media W.L.L | Tel: 38444692, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 38444680, Email: [email protected] Subscription & circulation: Tel: 38444698/17579877 | Email:[email protected] | Website: www.newsofbahrain.com | Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing .