1st Egypt International Oud Forum

During my sojourn in Egypt I simply fell in love with the oud. I did not know much about this instrument before and it took me some time and energy to discover its inner beauty. Instrumental in this path of discovery have been The Trio Jubran, Hazem Shaheen, Mohamed Abu Zekri, Marcel Khalife, Kamilya Jubran and Naseer Shamma, all of whom (except Khalife) I had the privilege of hearing live. Each with their peculiar and innovative way to interpret the instrument, they have shown me that this string instrument, much like the cello, another instrument I adore, has a depth and an emotional intensity that reach deep.

I was therefore elated when I read about the Cairo Opera House hosting of the 1st Egypt International Oud Forum from Thursday September 16 to Saturday September 18, 2010 with the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation.
The forum, under the direction of Iraqi, Cairo-based, artist Naseer Shamma, will be hosting concerts, workshops and seminars highlighting the history, complexity and importance of the Oud. It aims to highlight the contemporary importance of the instrument and play a role in its preservation as a symbol of Arabic cultural identity. Most importantly, the forum organisers aim to emphasise that the oud is not only a musical instrument, but an integral element of the Arabic cultural identity and heritage. Artists and visitors can participate in a series of workshops and seminars, running between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM each day, which will revolve around the craftsmanship, history and importance of the oud. Concerts will start at 8:00 PM every night of the event.

The artists participating in this event come from all over the Arab world and include Charbel Rouhana from Lebanon; Bashar Al Hassan, Sabsabi brothers, Raja’a Kahl, Juan Ali, Ghassan al-Youssef and Bahr Ghazi from Syria; Said El Sharaiby from Morocco; Hazem Chahine, Mohammed Abu Zekri, Fathi Amin, Amr Mustafa, Ajeeb, Karim Samy, Youssef Darwish, Hassan Al Mennialawy, Dina Abdel Hamid and Nagi Nagi from Egypt; Aly Obeid and Amr Fawzi from the UAE; Mohammed Memtaz from Turkey; Jubran Trio from Palestine; Fawzi Monsheb, Khaled Mohamed Ali and Youssef Abbas from Iraq; Ashraf Awad from Sudan.

(This piece has been prepared with information taken from Al-Arab online and Abu Dhabi City Guide online)