Naseer Shamma is not content with just performing new works at his next concert. The pioneering Iraqi musician is set to premiere a whole host of new instruments at his show on Sunday in Barcelona.
As part of a commission from the Abu Dhabi Festival, Shamma will lead an orchestra of oudists for a performance at Barcelona’s famed The Gran Teatre del Liceu showing the depth and dexterity of the instrument.
For the occasion, Shamma will use up to five new variations of the oud, marking the end of a decade-long process of working with manufacturers across the region to achieve the perfect sound. "My work has always been about evolving the oud and multiplying it to form a complete musical family," he tells The National.
“This whole work spanned 10 years, or a little bit more, but the results are very significant. We are in the process now of launching a new orchestra. It will be similar to other symphony orchestras, but with a distinctive sound that combines high proficiency and an Arabic identity.”
At the centre of this new sound are the five new oud instruments Naseer helped create. “The instruments are unprecedented,” he says. “They come with high specifications; there is the renowned traditional oud and then the new ones [play across different registers], and they are Oud Lin, Oud La, Oud Lo, and Oud Double Base.”
While each instrument is designed to achieve a certain pitch and emotional resonance, the manner in which they’re expressed entirely depends on the player. This personalisation is one of the key things that Shamma teaches his students at his famed Bait Al Oud music conservatories in Abu Dhabi and Cairo. The relationship between an oud and a musician, is a deeply personal one.
“Philosophy divides the human into the brain, the heart, the blood and the body,” he says. “The philosophy behind oud-making is also based on these components. The oud wears the fragrance of its holder, embodying his character. The renowned and brilliant oud player ought not to lend his oud to anyone, because the oud must crown the personality and the breath of its holder.
“Each instrument, when held by its player, produces a distinct sound that cannot be produced by another player. This shows the affinity between the player and the oud.”
And it is that bond that ultimately touches the audience. With the 55-year-old musician regularly on the road, having performed countless tours of Europe and North America, Shamma has seen how culture is a powerful force for understanding.
“The music, the culture and the arts are the best ways to introduce the person no matter what his culture is,” he says. “When a performer impresses an audience, this indicates that he has drawn the attention of people into his culture, his civilization and his instrument. The audience’s impressions are formed during a musical performance that will generate a respect for a whole nation.”
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But nothing beats a regional gig. Shamma’s shows in the UAE are deep and contemplative affairs that have often moved audiences to tears. He says the Barcelona show will form the beginning of a new project that he will perform in the UAE next year: “We will do an Arabic and international tour having the theme ‘2030 BC’. It is going to be in Abu Dhabi and around the world.”
Also on the agenda is the Abu Dhabi Festival Awards. A trip to Poland is on the cards on November 23, where Grammy Award-winning composer Krzysztof Penderecki will be recognised for the cultural significance of his works and contribution to classical music.
Additional reporting by Liza Ayach
For more details, visit www.admaf.org
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
