One of the most notable figures in traditional Arabic music right now is Mustafa Said, a regular performer in the UAE. Born in Cairo in 1983, he studied at the city’s famed oud academy, founded by the Iraqi master, Naseer Shamma. Soon he became arguably its most illustrious alumni, known for his mastering of the principles of so-called Arab Renaissance-era music, which dates from about 1890 until the 1930s.
Said is not afraid to immerse himself in politics. During the protests that toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in 2011, for example, Said recorded the song, Ya Masr hanit we banit (Oh Egypt, hard times are coming to an end and the signs are clear), over words by Palestinian poet Tamim Al Barghouti. This became a signature chant on Egypt's streets in the years that followed.
Said is also the founder of the Asil Ensemble, which he established in 2003 to give a modern take on classical Arab music. The ensemble played at the Abu Dhabi Festival last year, and now the Beirut-based group has released a third album, Burda.
The title of the album means “cloak” and refers to a seventh-century story about the Prophet Mohammed giving a mantle to a poet, who then composed a verse about the event. This holy cloak became a spiritual symbol. Since then, several acclaimed poets have taken the same subject. Umm Kulthum, one of the towering icons of 20th century music who rose to fame after the Arab Renaisannce era, sang a version of the poem, which was written by the renowned Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi. This album, however, is based on various lines written by Al Barghouti, which Said has written music for.
A burda is essentially a song cycle of music and poetry, with alternating vocal and instrumental parts. The album, which received financial support from the Abu Dhabi Festival, plays with traditions: Said calls it a “contemporary Arabic maqam suite”. He employs several of the many Arabic scales or “maqams”, some of which have gone out of use in the Middle East, except for in its very eastern regions.
The Asil Ensemble takes its name from the Arabic word for authentic. However, Said is no musical fundamentalist. For this album, the ensemble included a violin, viola and cello, which come from western musical culture. But it also features a santur and daff, instruments from Iraqi and Iranian traditions.
“What we are doing is creating new music from classic sources,” Said says.
“Challenging heritage, defying modernity”, as the album’s liner note states – modernity referring to the slavish repeating of the recent past, which Said rejects.
Burda is one continuous piece of music, which lasts about an hour and moves through 14 phases. It is fascinating to hear the ensemble effortlessly mingle all the elements. The musicians let their emotion run high in many parts, where the result in the hands of others could have become dry and academic. The fact that the album was recorded live, in one take, during a concert in Beirut in May 2014, also contributes to the effect of musicians not being afraid of being vulnerable.
Burda is an emotional album, and the group takes risks, sometimes almost going off the rails in tuning and timing, which add to the sense of rapture. Indeed, rapture through music is one of the ideals in the Arabic tradition. The word for this is tarab, and tarab is what this album, Said and the Asil Ensemble guarantee.
Neil van der Linden curates music events in the Middle East and North Africa, is editor of the online Gulf Art Guide and writes about Middle East music for Songlines.
The playlist: three classical Arabic sounds
Rubaiyat El Khayyam
Mustafa Said Forward Music, 2008
Whila Burda is Asil Ensemble’s third album, it’s also worth listening to their debut. It was officially recorded under Mustafa Said’s own name, and the music explores the life and loves of the Persian scientist, and poet, Omar Al Khayyam.
Nahj El Burda
Umm Kulthum Various, 1946
Umm Kulthum’s rendition of Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi’s version of a Burda is a highlight of her career. The CD was originally released by Cairo’s famed Sawt Al Qahira shop and label. It has been bootlegged many times and can be viewed online.
Wasalat
Nidaa Abou Mrad Forward Music, 2010
For another take on “early” classical Arabic music, look for the recordings by composer and violinist Nidaa Abu Mrad. He has also worked with Mustafa Said, and this album showcases the Lebanese performer’s powerful range.
