Between tradition and modernity.. Syrian music and its civilized voice in international forums in 2022

Damascus-SANA

Syrian music emerged this year from the crucible of notes and cultural events, to color the lives of Syrians, to form a new space of hope, and to be the strongest voice that broke the cultural siege on Syria, and sent a message of love and peace to the peoples of the world.

Between color formation in all its forms and musical rhythm in all its creative forms, the Ministry of Culture celebrated the 64th anniversary of its founding with the Syrian Culture Days celebration entitled (Heritage and Creativity), the Syrian Plastic Art Days celebration, and the Resistance Cinema Days to the sound of the melodies and rhythm of the Syrian National Band for Arab Music, and Dar al-Assad celebrated Culture and Arts celebrates its 18th anniversary with the sound of the Syrian opera singer Suzanne Haddad, emphasizing the close relationship between visual and musical art, as they are two cultural aspects shared by human civilizations since the dawn of history.

This year, the Ministry of Culture launched the first national competition for Syrian choirs, at the end of which the Good Shepherd Choir was crowned the first winner of the competition.

As for the Muwashahat and Qudud, they enjoyed an ample share of activities throughout Syria, as a clear indication of the diversity and richness of the Syrian musical heritage, due to its importance in preserving and transmitting them in a way that allows future generations to get to know and practice them in order to preserve them in their own style later on.

The capital, Damascus, witnessed the launch of a number of festivals, such as the Al-Bazouq Festival in its eleventh edition, which was held on the Qabbani stage, bringing to life the heritage of the Syrian Jazira region, and the first Syrian Heritage Song Festival led by Maestro Nazih Asaad at Al-Azm Palace.

As for the Syrian governorates, on the occasion of the World Heritage Day, they presented the most important traditional songs that were presented in the spring celebrations on the Syrian coast.

During 2022, Syrian musicians insisted on leaving their mark present in the memory of Arab and international music, and they were not satisfied with embracing bands from most parts of the world, but rather they had bright participations in many Arab and international festivals, in which they wrote the message of Syria, the land of peace, which exported civilization and culture to the world thousands of years ago. The years and the conviction of the Syrians that what unites humanity is much greater than what divides it.

The year opened musically with the epic musical work (Syrian Rhapsody), which was presented by 100 Syrian musicians and singers, signed by musician Iyad Al-Rimawi and conducted by Maestro Misak Bagboudrian on the stage of the (Expo 2020 Dubai) platform as part of the cultural program, which is organized by the Syrian Pavilion in cooperation with the Syrian Trust for Development.

From the city of Alberobello, located in southern Italy, Rahaf Shaikhani, the harp player at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus, toured through musical evenings and specialized workshops in several Italian cities as a soloist, at the invitation of the Italian Experimenta Festival, which aims to communicate and exchange cultures between the peoples of the world, during which pieces were presented. A musician talking about Syria with traditional and contemporary melodies.

The leader of the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Misak Baghboudrian, led the Arab Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, at the invitation of the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, which includes young musicians from several Arab countries, through two musical evenings, one at the Alexandria Opera House, and the second on the stage of the Republic Theater in Cairo.

Later, the Algiers Opera hosted a concert that included a number of members of the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra and students of the Higher Institute of Music, led by Baghboudrian, within the International Symphony Music Festival in its twelfth edition, which was held in the Algerian capital. And the festival management presented them with honorary shields.

Through a research (lyrical theater in the Levant and Egypt.. Al-Qabbani and Al-Rahbana) presented by Abeer Al-Jabi, the administrative officer at the Solhi Al-Wadi Institute of Music, Syria participated in the 31st session of the Arab Music Festival and Conference, held in Cairo.

The academic singer Linda Bitar appeared to the Tunisian audience with a Syrian musical evening, organized by the Alissa Forum for Creative Women in Tunisia, in its fifth session, with a bouquet of Syrian traditional songs.

Syria also won several international awards, as the Syrian expatriate soprano Aseel Massoud won the award for the best operatic voice in a specialized training program in Barcelona, ​​Spain, among eight singers who were selected according to high academic standards, and the Syrian musician Juman Omran achieved first place in a music competition by playing the violin. The piano in Switzerland, and many musicians of different ages participated in it, classified into different categories and programs that suit their ages.

With the end of the year approaching, the Hand-Ban Orchestra, led by the Syrian youth Anas Al-Halabi, won the award for the best integrated musical group within the (Dubai Youth Music Festival) in Dubai, with the participation of a group of young artists and musicians.

On the other hand, many diverse orchestras from different Arab and international countries attracted Syrian musicians, and gave them the opportunity to participate in them as musicians, which enabled them to constantly learn about the experiences of different cultures and musical civilizations with an intensity and diversity that enriches their taste, experience and creative imagination.

Lovers of authentic rapture lived memories of the beautiful time with the prince of Arabic singing, Hani Shaker, in two singing evenings after an absence of more than ten years. As for the international musician Guy Manoukian, he turned the opera stage into a raging energy of joy that revived the hearts of the audience, who interacted with his music with a lot of applause, and lived to the beat of his fingers. The young musician is the best of times.

Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts hosted the musician Cosimo Prontera, with the participation of the Viola de Amor Ensemble, who came from Italy, in a concert of the masterpieces of the pioneers of the Baroque era. Pianist Arman Babekhanian.

The Syrian National Symphony Orchestra, led by Maestro Misak Bagboudrian, formed a bridge of communication between the creativity of Syrian musicians, and Arab and international music, with human interaction and a distinctive cultural cross-fertilisation. Among its ranks is Venezuelan singer and bassoonist Ricardo Luque.

The Kremlin Orchestra, with the participation of artists from Russia, performed a musical evening, and the Russian Jazz Band Masala Quartet mixed eastern and western music on another evening. Al-Azem Palace in Damascus hosted a celebration of the Russian National Day, and the Russian Nizhny Novgorod Orchestra performed a singing and dancing evening at Dar Al-Assad Theater in Lattakia as a message. Love, peace, and dedication from the Russian people to the Syrian people, and a token of friendship and cooperation between the two countries in the cultural and artistic field.

The Syrian National Ensemble for Arab Music, led by Maestro Adnan Fathallah, opened the 2022 season with an evening by the musician Safwan Bahlawan, and recalled the works of the great artist Mayada Basilis, who died on the 17th of March of last year, on the first anniversary of her death, at the celebration held by Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts, and revived another On the stage of the Artists Syndicate in Aleppo.

As for the students and professors of the Higher Institute of Music, they performed evenings and concerts that made them in constant contact and interaction with contemporary music, and closely related to the theater in its different styles and directions, and the resulting accumulation of experiences and skills.

As for the children, they had distinguished music, as the Naffiyyat Orchestra of the students of the Solh Al-Wadi Institute, led by Maestro Dalama Shehab, performed on the opera stage at Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts, and accompanied the children on a trip to the Disney City of Dreams. Welcome to Christmas and New Year's Eve.

On the other hand, artistic circles in general, and musical circles in particular, lost in 2022 the godfather of modern hymns, Maestro Hossam El Din Primo, the able artist Diab Mashhour, and the lyricist Safouh Shaghala.

Amani Farooj

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