The Arabesque Music Ensemble announces its 2009 concert tour repertoire, featuring legendary Egyptian composer Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab.

The Arabesque Music Ensemble (www.arabesquemusicensemble.com), comprised of conservatory-trained musicians from the Middle East and North Africa, is dedicated to perpetuating the legacy of composers from the pantheon of classical Arabic music.  Music critic Peter Margasak writes, "Unless you travel to the Middle East, it's hard to see this stuff played live--and nearly impossible to find a group that can do it with such elegance and passion."

Ensemble instrumentalists are Hanna Khoury of Philadelphia, violin; Hicham Chami of Chicago, qanun; Naser Musa of Los Angeles, ‘ud; Kinan Abou-Afach of Chicago, cello; and Michel Merhej Baklouk of New York City, percussion. Youssef Kassab of Brooklyn is lead vocalist.  Ensemble members have collaborated with prominent musicians from both the Oriental and Western traditions, including Fairouz, Youssou N’Dour, Fathy Salama, Yo-Yo Ma, and Daniel Barenboim.

AME performances have garnered consistent critical acclaim in the U.S. and Canadian press, with praise for the ensemble’s "precise rhythms and perfect intonation" (Washington Post) as well as its "rich textures and musical versatility" (Los Angeles Times). The Seattle Post-Intelligencer called the ensemble’s concert "a fascinating and polished performance"; the University Musical Society of Ann Arbor, Michigan deemed the AME a "world-class ensemble."

Each AME recording/concert tour project involves substantial translation, research, and transcription/arranging in consultation with respected ethnomusicologists, resulting in a distinctive combination of artistry and scholarship.  The ensemble has released two CDs: “The Songs of Sheikh Sayyed Darweesh: Soul of a People” and “Music of the Three Musketeers” (Riyad al-Sunbati, Zakariyya Ahmad, and Muhammad al-Qasabji).  
Their current project focuses on the compositions of Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab (1907-1991), a prolific composer and vocalist dubbed “the musician of generations" due to his wide appeal.  ‘Abd al-Wahhab served as a pan-generational “bridge” from the past to the present/future.  He was influenced by his predecessor Sayyed Darweesh, and in fact completed his unfinished opera, “Cleopatra.”  

‘Abd al-Wahhab’s innovative orchestration incorporated elements of Western musical rhythms and instruments with traditional Arabic melodies.  Habeeb Salloum, writing in Al Jadid, refers to ‘Abd al-Wahhab as the “founder of contemporary Arabic music.”  His well-loved composition for Umm Kulthum, “Inta Omri,” first performed in 1964, remains Egypt’s best-selling song.


PROJECT BACKGROUND


The selection of Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab as the next featured composer in the Arabesque Music Ensemble’s repertoire was a natural progression after their most recent projects:  “The Songs of Sheikh Sayyed Darweesh:  Soul of a People” and “al-Fursan at-Talatha” (“Music of the Three Musketeers”), which featured Umm Kulthum’s composers Zakariyya Ahmad, Muhammad al-Qasabji, and Riyad al-Sunbati. 

Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab composed ten works for the legendary diva, including her most famous song, “Inta Omri,” first performed in 1964. Yet this collaboration was not an easy one; as Virginia Danielson writes, “they represented different points on the musical spectrum of their time and were professional rivals” (Umm Kulthum being a champion of the traditional and ‘Abd al-Wahhab tending toward the modern).  President Nasser himself advocated this partnership as a tangible demonstration of Arab unity.  Symbolically, Umm Kulthum’s final concert in early 1972 opened with ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s “Leilet Hobb.”

The Arabesque Music Ensemble shares the popular view of  ‘Abd al-Wahhab as “the musician of generations”—not only because of his wide appeal to listeners of all ages, but in his role as the final major composer who was part of the “golden age” of classical Arabic music, one who served to “bridge” the past and the future.


MUHAMMAD 'ABD al-WAHHAB (1907-1991)

Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab (1907-1991) was an Egyptian film star, vocalist, and prolific composer (Kareem Roustom cites over 250 songs, 55 instrumental works, and dozens of films to his credit). 

‘Abd al-Wahhab takes his place on the continuum of “golden age” composers, acknowledging the influence of his predecessor Sayyed Darweesh.  Roustom quotes ‘Abd al-Wahhab as saying, “His compositions are truly modern, but they are close to the heart and rooted:  they have a father and a mother.”  After Darweesh’s death, ‘Abd al-Wahhab completed his unfinished opera, “Cleopatra.”

Unlike Darweesh, however, who had a populist appeal and struggled with material success most of his life, ‘Abd al-Wahhab (though from a Cairo working-class family) was patronized by royalty and was dubbed “singer of princes” in his earlier years.  Partnering with Abdel-Halim Hafez and cinematographer Wahid Farid, he established Sawt Al-Fan (Voice of Art), which would become Egypt's largest music and film production company.

Habeeb Salloum refers to ‘Abd al-Wahhab as the “founder of contemporary Arabic music” due to his innovative orchestration, which incorporated elements of Western musical rhythms and instruments. Latin-American dance styles such as tango and samba found their way into his compositions.  Large stage orchestras (40-50 musicians) included the clarinet, flute, saxophone, accordion, piano, cello, and string bass; an electric guitar was used for the first performance of “Inta Omri.”  Salloum writes, “his superimposition of a mixture of Western musical instruments on a foundation of Arabic melodies captured the hearts of millions.”