SYRIA: Tapis Volant music festical takes place in Damascus

Record ID: 278948

  • Title: SYRIA: Tapis Volant music festical takes place in Damascus
  • Date: 5th February 2008
  • Summary: LEBANESE MUSICIAN ZIAD AHMADIEH GREETING WOMAN SIGN READING 'DAMASCUS 2008 ARAB CAPITAL OF CULTURE' (SOUNDBITE (Arabic) LEBANESE MUSICIANS ZIAD AHMADIEH SAYING: "We musicians do not talk politics because it goes against the purpose of music."
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA5CVJB24YQRJMBPEUPCIK53XXS
  • Story Text: Middle Eastern musicians and singers performed in Damascus to celebrate the Syrian capital's status as Arab Capital of Culture for 2008.
    Algeria, Lebanon and turkey were some of the countries represented in the festival, with bands performing a wide variety of styles of music.
    The festival was organised by Tapis Volant, a project initiated by the French association AMI (National Centre for the Development of Popular Music) in partnership with several international cultural partners, including the Lebanese association In Concert, which organises musical events.
    The Damascus Arab Capital of Culture 2008 secretariat-general invited the festival's musicians and singers to Damascus to perform after the Arab League designated Damascus the new Arab capital of culture, taking the torch from the Algerian capital Algiers.
    For many, the festival was an opportunity to exchange musical and cultural experiences with fellow performers from around the Middle East.
    "This integration is useful. Damascus being the capital of culture should mean opening up to the world. The civilization, music, art, beauty, love and all these good things need to be open to the world and others,"
    said Wael Kak, manager of the Syrian band "Wujouh."
    As the new Arab cultural capital, Damascus will host performances and cultural events throughout 2008.
    One of the highlights of the programme thus far was a performance in January by Lebanese diva Fairuz, one of the Arab world's greatest women singers, who last performed in Syria 20 years ago.
    A future scheduled highlight is a conference which is expected to bring together Czech writer Milan Kundera, American intellectual Noam Chomsky and novelist Isabel Allende, daughter of former Chilean president Salvador Allende.
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