Tribune News Network
Doha
As part of its ‘Heart to Heart’ series, Qatar Foundation (QF) will host a musical evening titled ‘The Arab Prince of Violin: 60 Years After Sammi Shawwa’ on Saturday, January 31.
The programme will be hosted by Kuwaiti musician and researcher Dr. Ahmed Al-Salhi, alongside musician, composer, researcher and oud player Dr Mustafa Said, founder of the Asil Ensemble, with the participation of Bilal Bitar, a qanun player specialising in the authentic traditions of the Arabic maqam.
Taking place from 7pm to 8pm at the Black Box Theatre in Multaqa (Education City Student Center), the event celebrates one of the most influential figures in Arab music, Sammi Shawwa. A musician whose impact continues to resonate with generations of music lovers, Shawwa mastered the many dialects of the Arabic maqam – from the Atlantic to the Gulf – and extended his mastery to maqam traditions from non-Arab musical cultures.
Free of illuminated screens, amplification, mobile phones, and other technology, to enhance authenticity and audience enjoyment, the evening will also a workshop organized by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Herfah program, held prior to the performance and titled ‘Outdoor Structure Geometry’. In this workshop, participants will build geometric structures that deepen their understanding of the forms, spaces, and proportions used in Islamic art and architecture.
Following the musical performance, audiences will be invited to attend an interactive discussion session with the musicians, organized by QF’s BilAraby initiative.
Dr. Al-Salhi is widely regarded as one of the leading figures in the authentic Arab maqam tradition. He has founded several musical programs and initiatives, specializes in traditional Arab performance styles, and brings extensive experience in the history of music in the Arabian Gulf, recording history, and the craft of oud making.
Dr. Said, from Cairo – winner of the Aga Khan Music Award (2019) and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (2024) in the Arabic Manuscript Editing category – will bring his distinctive musical voice, shaped by both classical and contemporary Arab music traditions, to the performance.
The evening will also be enriched by Bitar, the Lebanese musician and winner of the Sammi Shawwa Award for Maqam Improvisation (2017). His performance is inspired by the authentic traditions of the Arabic maqam, and he continues to contribute to the preservation and presentation of Arab musical heritage through a style that blends authenticity with creativity.
This latest edition in the ‘Heart to Heart’ series follows a special performance last November by Iranian musician and composer Negar Bouban, which brought together Persian and Kurdish musical traditions drawn from her cultural roots.
‘Heart to Heart’ will continue its celebration of authentic musical maqam over the coming months. In March, the series will feature ‘Maqamat of the Ottoman Court with Fikret Karakaya,’ followed in April by ‘A Journey Through Maqam with Mohammed Antar.’
For more information and to reserve your placefor the upcoming performance, visit: https://educationcity.qa/event/the-arab-prince-of-violin-60-years-after-sammi-shawwa
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