- Title: Palestinian viola player brings gypsy jazz to region
- Date: 21st November 2017
- Summary: JERUSALEM (NOVEMBER 19, 2017) (REUTERS) VIEW OF DOME OF THE ROCK/VIOLA PLAYER SAMER RASHED PLAYING VARIOUS OF RASHED PLAYING VIOLA
- Embargoed: 5th December 2017 11:30
- Keywords: Viola gypsy jazz musician Samer Rashed Jerusalem
- Location: JERUSALEM/EIN GEDI, ISRAEL
- City: JERUSALEM/EIN GEDI, ISRAEL
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA00178F1XSL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A young Palestinian is bringing the unusual sound of viola gypsy jazz to the Middle East as he works on a new album.
Samer Rashed, 26, began his musical education in Jerusalem at the age of ten, before moving to Turkey to study jazz and gypsy jazz.
His first album, 'Gypsy Rhapsodies', was the first to feature both the viola and the genre in the wider region, he says.
Rashed has taken his viola on the road to promote his music.
"We performed in several Palestinian cities after the launch of the album and also outside the country in European cities where I performed in big festivals such as the Proms festival," said Rashed.
Rashed is currently working on a new album that he hopes will have an even wider reach.
"I aspire to have the music that I work on and compose to be played worldwide and for the album to reach the whole world so they would get to know this music and to become familiar with the accomplishments we have here in this city," he explained.
He is already introducing new compositions to audiences in Jerusalem. At a small concert in the old city earlier in November, Rashed performed a number of pieces from 'Gypsy Rhapsodies' and the new, yet-to-be-released album.
People in Jerusalem are enjoying the haunting tunes.
"Samer's performance was really nice, I listened to him on Youtube, however, his live performance is even better and we had fun," said audience member Johnny Mustaklem. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.