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Singing with a folk of twist

Lebanese singer May Nasr speaks to Forward

May Nasr made a name for herself in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine 10 years ago by singing the songs of others. Carrying her guitar, and with a voice that echoed the spirit of resistance and revolution, she held concerts in various Arab cities, enchanting young people with songs that they knew well, by the Lebanese diva Fairouz, and Lebanese musicians Ziad Rahbani, Marcel Khalifah, and Ahmad Qaabour. She perfomed them with a twist—no band, no back-up singers, and no instrument other than her guitar. Pretty soon, these young people were uploading her clips onto Facebook and YouTube, but many stormed music stores in Beirut and Damascus, asking for May Nasr’s CD. “She has not released a CD” was the constant reply. That changed on November 2008, when May finally delivered her debut album, “Lel Ghali” (For the Dear One). Speaking to FW: Magazine, she revealed that she was a woman in love; with music, her cause, and the ancient city that welcomed her with open arms.

All of Damascus got electrified during the month of August, preparing for the Holy Month of Ramadan, which starts in September 2008. Preparations were unique, however, at Four Seasons Hotel, where the oldest alleys in Damascus were majestically re-created within the newest hotel in town. Safran Restaurant presented Old Damascus with all its alleys, shops, foods, and seven gates, to Syrian and international guests at Four Seasons. Re-creating the romantic atmosphere of the Old City, in shape and scent, was executed through the assistance of Emaar, the UAE-based real estate development company that is now operating in Syria. The new decoration allowed guests to walk through the Seven Gates of Damascus, where they encountered seven small shops, selling treasures from the Old City. The scene was accompanied by live Oriental music, customers dining, puffing on Turkish pipes, and enjoying a good game of backgammon. The idea is the brainchild of Four Seasons Hotel Damascus, aimed at preserving and promoting old Damascene traditions, of which Ramadan itself is an integral part.

Gallery Ayyam recently organized an event called “The Best Artistic Painting Competition,” in collaboration with the Junior Chamber of Commerce (JCI). It aims at at bringing about greater art awareness in Syrian society. A group of the gallery’s finest professional artists supervised the works of 25 young painters who roamed the old streets and alleys of Damascus, carrying their painting utilities and drawing away, initially surprising, then enchanting, the people of Damascus. Originally 160 people had applied for the event, which, in addition to exposure, promised the first prize winner a full-scholarship to study at the al-Wadi University, one of the private universities that have opened in Syria. The event, which took place between August 8-10, 2008, was beneficial for competitors, artists, and ordinary Damascenes, whose art appreciation was enhanced. Once the competition was finished, the works were displayed at Gallery Ayyam. Later, they were exhibited in Aleppo and Homs. This competition is the second of its kind for Gallery Ayyam, having held a similar competition for young artists back in 2007. 

Duraid Lahham, whose political plays have become timeless classics in the Arab world, returns to the theater at the age of 74, having retired from stage acting 16-years ago, back in 1992. The new play, adapted into Arabic from Turkish, will be directed by the renowned Syrian actor Bassam Koussa. The first performance will be on November 1, 2008, and the entire show will last for one month, sponsored by the Secretary-General of Damascus as Capital for Arab Culture 2008, the United Group (UG), and the Ministry of Information.

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Syrian actress Maha al-Saleh died at the age of 63 in Damascus, after a losing battle with cancer. Born in the village of Jableh, she began her career in 1963 as an actress with the Dramatic Arts Group, which operated with the thennewly founded Syrian Television.
She then worked with the National Theatre Group, both as an actress and director, and then worked in television dramas with leading directors and stars, including her husband, the pioneer actor Asaad Fidda

Iraqi oud (lute) player Naseer Shamma raised more than $24,000 for UNHCR’s Iraqi refugee
program with a concert at the Damascus Opera House to mark World Refugee Day in June 2008. The take from the concert will be used to provide financial support for 150 of the most  vulnerable Iraqi families in Syria over a month-long period. Sold out within two days of tickets going on sale, the concert featured new music that Shamma created to reflect the situation of Iraq and Iraqi refugees.

Syrian filmmaker Nader Atassi, who is famous for producing the works of Fayruz back in the 1960s, is now back to cinema after more than a 10-year absence. Atassi is bankrolling a film, to be directed by Hatem Ali, the Syrian director of the Egyptian drama King Farouk, called Hala wa al-Malek (Hala and the King). It would be a cinematic adaptation of a stage musical performed by Fayruz and the late Nasri Shamsuddine on the Piccadilly Theatre in Beirut in 1967. Antone Kirbaj, a veteran of the works of the Rahbani Brothers, will replace the late Shams al-Din while Miriam Fares, a young Lebanese singer, is on the shortlist to perform instead of Fayruz. The plot deals with the king of Selina, who decides to hold a masquerade party at which he will seek a bride, after hearing of a prophesy saying that his future wife will show up at the kingdom, wearing a mask. A poor girl selling masks, originally played by Fayruz, finds her way to the party, and the king’s heart is instantly captured.

Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakhirji has began shooting the 30-episode epic Asmahan, about
the life of the Syrian diva who reached pan-Arab stardom in the 1930s before dying in
mysterious circumstances during World War II. The television show will be aired exclusively by the Saudi satellite channel MBC. Tunisian director Shawqi al-Majri will direct the new series, which has been delayed numerous times because of disagreement within the production team, and lawsuits with Asmahan’s family. Asmahan, born Amal al-Atrash, started singing in Cairo at the age of 13 and gained the attention of music giants like Mohammad Abdul-Wahab, recording timeless classics like the operetta, “Layali al-Uns Fi Vienna” (Nights of Intimacy in Vienna). The historical/musical drama will be aired during the month of Ramadan (September 2008).

The filming of the historical epic “Lawrence of Arabia” has started in Syria, covering the life of Colonel T.E. Lawrence, the British officer who came to the Arab world to help defeat the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The 30-episode drama is being directed by
Thaer Moussa, and playing the role of Lawrence (1888-1935) is the Syrian actor Jihad Saed, aided by Syrian stars like Marah Jabr, Abdul Hakim Qutayfan, and Rana Abyad. The work covers Lawrence’s years in the Arab world (1914-1918) which witnessed dramatic events