Maurizio Lazzaro, Italian guitar and oud virtuoso who loved Cairo passed away on Monday November 7, 2011.
Maurizio Lazzaro was one of a handful of non-Arab oud player acknowledged as a virtuoso by the very masters of the instrument. Born as a jazz guitarist, he has recorded many cds and performed extensively live in concert with some of the best Italian and international musicians, in addition to his teaching activity in Rome.
An interest in the Arab oud brought him to Cairo where he perfected his knowledge of the instrument and came into contact with many Egyptian musicians with whom he developed sincere professional and personal friendships. This led to his frequent visits to Cairo, many live performances, mostly at the Makan and at El Sawi, and to the establishment of the Cairo Jazz Group with the violinist Mohamed Sami, Ahmad Hani on bass, and the Italian percussionist (and friend) Fulvio Maras, with appearances of Wust El Balad's singer Hany Adel as guest.
I like to remember Maurizio on stage all alone with his oud in one of the very first free post revolution festivals in Abdeen Square, in the spring of this year. The square was throbbing with Egyptians from all walks of life coming to celebrate and in the air was a cacophony of loud voices, children's screams, Cairo's ever present background noise, and music from a nearby stage. Despite it all, Maurizio went on the small stage, sat, and started to play his oud, unafraid of the prospect that the gentle sound might be drowned by the surrounding racket. People started to close in and listen in silence, their bodies creating an isolation barrier, and suddenly an island of peace sprang up in a corner of the square. In extremely difficult and uncertain times for the country, its people, and its cultural life, he was the only non Egyptian performing, and this gives a measure of the man, as much as of the musician.
He loved Cairo and I am sure he will be sorely missed by many there.
If you had the luck to know Maurizio and are a Facebook user you can leave your farewell message on his Facebook page.
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