Saber Rebaï holds a curious position in the Arab music industry.
The Tunisian’s tunes have too much depth and intelligence to be labelled pop, yet they are not arty enough to be appreciated in opera halls.
His sophisticated music has spawned a legion of dedicated fans demanding more from their music than banal hooks.
The flip side is that much of the time Rebaï seems like a square peg in a round hole on the bill at pop-music festivals. A case in point was last year’s Dubai Shopping Festival – he came across as more of a curiosity when scheduled alongside Lebanese pop giants such as Assi Helani and Najwa Karam.
Hence, the choice of Rebaï to open the Sharjah World Music Festival was an inspired one. Headlining a festival rich in variety and dedicated to artistic exploration, Rebaï was in his element during Thursday’s opening night at the regal Al Majaz Amphitheatre.
The 48-year-old, a mentor on the television talent show The Voice, was more than up for it, delivering a sterling two-hour set, touching on all aspects of his career, in front of an attentive audience.
First up was the jaunty Be Basata, his take on Egyptian pop, with its driving percussion and big horns. The strings came into play on Ya Assl, where they swooned over the wedding-waltz rhythm.
Rebaï was well and truly warmed up by the time Ya Lila arrived. His rich tenor twisted and turned in the track's maqam (improvisational introduction).
The Tunisians in the audience were acknowledged in the upbeat Meziana, which packed a few colloquialisms. Rebaï jokingly assured the crowd that "meziana means that everything is great".
The set's high point was Ajmal Nissa El Donia. A wedding favourite, the song is a David Foster-esque power ballad with lilting melodies and the obligatory vocal fireworks in the end.
Rebaï left the stage to a standing ovation – a worthy tribute to an artist in total command of his craft.
A more ambient affair was on offer on Friday night from Taksim Trio. The Turkish three-piece headlined the Flag Island Amphitheatre stage and performed selections from their two albums – 2007's self titled debut and 2013's Taksim Trio 2.
Not the most inspired album titles, but thankfully more creativity is found in the music, which blends Middle Eastern arrangements with jazz.
However, while the sounds were easy on the ear, there were too many times when the set slipped dangerously close to Arabesque muzak territory. Fortunately, Hüsnü Senlendirici, on the clarinet, injected some colour to the proceedings with the occasional blistering solo.
• The Sharjah World Music Festival continues until Tuesday. For details, visit www.sharjahworldmusicfestival.com
sasaeed@thenational.ae
