La guerre l’a éloigné de sa patrie bien-aimée pendant des décennies. Maintenant, le joueur de oud virtuose Naseer Shamma espère aider à reconstruire l’Irak marqué par le conflit grâce à une série de concerts et d’autres projets pour soutenir la culture et l’éducation.
The audience at the Iraqi National Theater were on their feet, overcome with emotion as Shamma played a night of classics from the Iraqi songbook and modern compositions.
« We will work on lighting the stage, to get out of the darkness into the light,” he told the crowd, before kicking off the evening with, « Sabah El Kheir Ya Baghdad,” or, « Good Morning Baghdad.” Behind him, an orchestra, including young women musicians, played traditional instruments.
The 59-year-old Shamma is considered a modern-day master of the oud, a pear-shaped stringed instrument similar to a lute whose deep tones and swift-changing chords are central to Arabic music. LINK TO ARTICLE
