Live in Concert:
Rabih Abou-Khalil
Many people are working every day to build bridges between the Arab World and the West. One of the most heartfelt undertakings in Germany is certainly that of Rabih Abou-Khalil: as a songwriter, musician and poet, he uniquely combines the manifold expressions of culture and arts in both hemispheres in a truly amazing way.
Rabih Abou-Khalil was born in Lebanon into a cultural family and studied Arabian and Western music. In 1978, he left his home country and came to Munich, Germany, where he continued his career as a musician. Despite new influences, his main instrument still today remains the oud, a fretless stringed instrument prevalent in traditional Arabian music.
Rabih Abou-Khalil (left) with his Oud
After having been introduced to his music while living in Damascus, Syria, I finally did get a chance to see him live at a concert performance last week in Landsberg, Germany. As part of the “Jazz & more” programme, he was set to play a solo performance. And he did not fail to win the audience completely over: the experience was simply stunning and overwhelming.
Ticket to his Concert in Landsberg
Rabih Abou-Khalil introduced a very distinctive mixture of Arab-German cultural crossover: he brought together Arabian out compositions with poem recitations by Christian Morgenstern and Joachim Ringelnatz. His pieces of music were beautifully performed and bathed the concert hall into an all-embracing oriental atmosphere. Accordingly, the poems were chosen in perfect harmony: they reflected profundity, expressiveness and humour. And Rabih Abou-Khalil recited them with passion and intonation in such a way that few German native speakers would be able to.
The evening would not have been complete without acquiring one of his CDs – he has sold over 500.000 copies already in his career. And while this is certainly the result of the complexity and authenticity of his music, it is also partly due to the love that he puts into designing the covers.
Cover Design to the CD "Il Sospiro"
For those interested in his music, here are two highly acclaimed and personally recommended CDs:
Rabih Abou Khalil, Joachim Kühn, Jarrod Cagwin
“Journey to the Centre of an Egg”
ASIN: B000AOJASO
Link to amazon.de
Rabih Abou-Khalil
“Arabian Waltz”
ASIN: B000005CC1
Link to amazon.de
And a list of upcoming tour dates in France and Germany can be obtained here -- an opportunity not to be missed:
Levinson Concerts
Andreas Hauser
Rabih Abou-Khalil was born in Lebanon into a cultural family and studied Arabian and Western music. In 1978, he left his home country and came to Munich, Germany, where he continued his career as a musician. Despite new influences, his main instrument still today remains the oud, a fretless stringed instrument prevalent in traditional Arabian music.
Rabih Abou-Khalil (left) with his Oud
© Wikipedia
After having been introduced to his music while living in Damascus, Syria, I finally did get a chance to see him live at a concert performance last week in Landsberg, Germany. As part of the “Jazz & more” programme, he was set to play a solo performance. And he did not fail to win the audience completely over: the experience was simply stunning and overwhelming.
Ticket to his Concert in Landsberg
Rabih Abou-Khalil introduced a very distinctive mixture of Arab-German cultural crossover: he brought together Arabian out compositions with poem recitations by Christian Morgenstern and Joachim Ringelnatz. His pieces of music were beautifully performed and bathed the concert hall into an all-embracing oriental atmosphere. Accordingly, the poems were chosen in perfect harmony: they reflected profundity, expressiveness and humour. And Rabih Abou-Khalil recited them with passion and intonation in such a way that few German native speakers would be able to.
The evening would not have been complete without acquiring one of his CDs – he has sold over 500.000 copies already in his career. And while this is certainly the result of the complexity and authenticity of his music, it is also partly due to the love that he puts into designing the covers.
Cover Design to the CD "Il Sospiro"
For those interested in his music, here are two highly acclaimed and personally recommended CDs:
Rabih Abou Khalil, Joachim Kühn, Jarrod Cagwin
“Journey to the Centre of an Egg”
ASIN: B000AOJASO
Link to amazon.de
Rabih Abou-Khalil
“Arabian Waltz”
ASIN: B000005CC1
Link to amazon.de
And a list of upcoming tour dates in France and Germany can be obtained here -- an opportunity not to be missed:
Levinson Concerts
Andreas Hauser
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