- Title: TUNISIA: Instrumental music festival kicks off in Tunis
- Date: 13th February 2009
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (FEBRUARY 10, 2009) (REUTERS) AUDIENCE ARRIVING AT "ESPACE NOUREDDINE KASBAOUI" VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE SEATED BEFORE SHOW
- Embargoed: 28th February 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA3UR113OVCH1I94CIFHFICQHGS
- Story Text: Tunis hosts an instrumental music week with performances from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Lebanon, Turkey and the Palestinian territories. The fourth edition of "La Semaine de la Musique Instrumentale" is being held from February 4 to 14.
Tunis pays homage to instrumental music this month with the 4th edition of "La Semaine de la Musique Instrumentale".
Spanish flamenco, Tunisian malouf, and classical Arabic are some of the many genres coming together this week, as artists fuse age-old musicial traditions with more contemporary sounds.
Musician Juan Antonio Pique said his band, the Flamenco Quartet, combined the rhythm of flamenco with other popular styles.
"The music we play, you could say, is kind of inspired by flamenco but it is not strictly flamenco. We use some rhythmic patterns, harmonies and the phrasing, but it is kind of a mixture with popular music," he said.
Organised by musical charity "L'Association des Supporteurs de la Creation Musicale" and the Italian Cultural Centre, this year's event honours Tunisian lutist Ahmed El Kalai (1936-2008) and veteran composer Ahmed Achour, who is also director of the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra.
Festival organiser Dr. Lotfi Almraihi said Tunisian instrumental musicians have a very limited audience.
"A main challenge that faces Arab and Tunisian musicians is the public's focus on singing. There is no tradition of listening to instrumental music, that is the biggest obstacle, and that is what this festival is attempting to deal with. Musical standards tend to decline after a musician graduates because he or she will always be accompanying the singer, secondary to the singer," he said.
Artists from Bulgaria, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey are presenting an array of instrumental works at the Théâtre Municipal, Espace Noureddine Kasbaoui and the Maison de la Culture Ibn-Rachiq from February 4 to 14.
A highlight of the event was Palestinian oud player Ismail Daoud's performance entitled "All for Gaza", an expression of solidarity with Palestinians who came under fire during a recent 22-day Israeli offensive on the coastal enclave.
"Performances were from a variety of artists from different nationalities: Turkey, Tunisia, Palestine and even Turkey among others. This is a message for our people in Gaza that not only are all peoples of the world with you, we as artists are with you. Through our art, through our voices, we issue a call and a cry of solidarity with Gaza," Daoud said.
Tunisia has a long tradition of instrumental music, dating back to the 15th century. "Malouf" (meaning familiar in Arabic) was brought over by Andalusian Muslims exiled from Spain.
The plaintiff musical genre uses violins, lutes, sitars and drums.
The instrumental music week features performances by: Abbas Bakhtiari Trio (Iran); Tudor Petrov (Bulgaria); Playtoy Orchestra (Italy); Charbel Rouhana (Lebanon); Ismaël Daoud (Palestinian Territories); Flamenco Quartet (Spain); Antoine Auberson and Luiz De Suz (Switzerland); Ahmed Achour, Amine and Imène Hili, Ihsan Laâribi, Mûsîqât, and Yasmine Azaïz (Tunisia); and Nédim Nalbantoglu (Turkey). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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