Creatively illustrated across the background of the Cairo Opera House’s stage was the ‘Beit El Oud’ logo. At the center of the stage, stood a carefully crafted chair designed by Iraqi Dina Khan and resting on its tall arabesque back was prominent Iraqi Oud player Naseer Shamma.
“Enough destruction, we can breathe it and taste it everywhere, Shamma told the audience, “what unites us on earth is one destiny; to protect the earth and keep it clean. Shamma chose the title of the concert to be “Our Mother the Earth, a humanitarian project that saw artists from Bulgaria, Germany, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt perform together under the roof of the Cairo Opera House.
The concert kicked off with “On a Butterfly’s Wing. The tempo was fast and vivacious and the ascending and descending notes personified the butterfly’s freewheeling state quite vividly.
In “Waladah . Ibn Zaydoun, the captivating sounds of the clarinet and violin played with a skillful, calculated approach as the scales of each instrument diversified but, nonetheless, eventually sounded harmonious and complete. Mohamed Hamdy’s skill on the clarinet was strictly tied to the tempo, which was rather tricky especially when playing alongside a violin. The talented 25-year-old violinist Saeed Kamal’s performance whined a high pitch of desperation and agony before ending with a low pitch of plea to stop destruction and war. “Because all of us (musicians) are happy to participate with Shamma in this project, we almost knew the music by heart and rarely looked at the notes,
Kamal told Daily News Egypt, “it was a pleasure to work with him. In “Balash Itab, composed by late great composer Kamal El Taweel, and Om Kulthoum s timeless classic “Amal Hayaty, the audience reminisced on the good old days in an audible soft hum while tapping their feet to the innovative variations of Shamma’s performance. Shamma gave an ode to Persian Sufi poet Jalal Ad-Din Rumi in a composition accompanied by a splendid Tanoura dance performed by 27-year-old dancer Mahmoud Shalaby, who managed to swirl endlessly around the stage with his multi-layered, colorful outfit. “I am finding it quite unbelievable to dance here at the Cairo Opera House after 800 years of Mawlana Rumi s death, Shalaby said after the end of the concert. “He was a great genuine Sufi man, with great thoughts, I am really proud to have participated in this wonderful project. Going back to Iraq, “Good morning Baghdad made the audience cheer loudly to the rather gloomy, but nostalgic Iraqi air brought by the song.
Shamma’s tears fell onto the tender strings of his oud expressing what thousands of newscasts are still failing to convey. “Iraq’s destiny is the same as the Arab nations’; therefore we must stand as one, Shamma told the audience before playing “One Destiny. Andre Sghon s counter bass line created a tense mood for the story of an Iraqi mother who is bidding a last, tormenting farewell to her son who is going off to war. The Syrian Joan Farhan played the bozok or the saz in a mystical and sentimental note, adding a soft touch to Shamma’s oud. “What I like about Shamma is the fact that he leaves the other musicians space and time to play and display their talents along his, Farhan commented. In other words, he is not selfish on stage.
German sax player Danella Tramt has a different conception of Shamma. “In Germany, we do not have the oud instrument; therefore I find Shamma’s music mysterious, charming and enchanting.
By the end of the concert, the audience rose in elation, applauding and shouting out Shamma s name until he disappeared behind the curtain.
“I thank the Cairo Opera House, who I think is doing a great job by preserving and performing fine art, I am proud to be here, Shamma said.
