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Africa Express Presents… The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians with Damon Albarn and Guests

The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, Damon Albarn

The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians is led by conductor Issam Rafea and features current and former members of the Syrian National Orchestra of Arabic Music. Songwriter and producer Damon Albarn first played with Syrian conductor Issam Rafea and SNOAM musicians at the Damascus Opera House in 2008. Albarn later worked with Rafea and members of the orchestra when they appeared on the Gorillaz track ‘White Flag’ – which debuted at an Africa Express concert in Paris. The musicians, together with Rafea, later joined Gorillaz on their 2010 Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour which included shows at the 11th century Citadel in Damascus, Syria, as well as dates in Lebanon and across Europe and North America. As a result of the on-going conflict, many Syrian musicians - including Issam Rafea - have been forced to leave the country. This special concert will see musicians who previously worked with Albarn, travelling from both inside and outside Syria, to reunite for an orchestral performance alongside Albarn and other guest performers. The event will highlight and celebrate the remarkable music culture of Syria, providing a more positive perspective than events currently seen in the news. In addition to the Amsterdam show, Africa Express presents… The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians will play London’ Southbank Centre as well as festival dates across Europe including: Glastonbury, Istanbul and Roskilde Festival. Paul Weller, Bassekou Kouyaté, Bu Kolthoum, Eslam Jawaad, Faia Younan, Malikah, Mounir Troudi, Noura Mint Seymali, Rachid Taha and TALA who will join Damon Albarn as guests when The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians.

The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians is led by conductor Issam Rafea and features current and former members of the Syrian National Orchestra of Arabic Music. Songwriter and producer Damon Albarn first played with Syrian conductor Issam Rafea and SNOAM musicians at the Damascus Opera House in 2008. Albarn later worked with Rafea and members of the orchestra when they appeared on the Gorillaz track ‘White Flag’ – which debuted at an Africa Express concert in Paris. The musicians, together with Rafea, later joined Gorillaz on their 2010 Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour which included shows at the 11th century Citadel in Damascus, Syria, as well as dates in Lebanon and across Europe and North America. As a result of the on-going conflict, many Syrian musicians - including Issam Rafea - have been forced to leave the country. This special concert will see musicians who previously worked with Albarn, travelling from both inside and outside Syria, to reunite for an orchestral performance alongside Albarn and other guest performers. The event will highlight and celebrate the remarkable music culture of Syria, providing a more positive perspective than events currently seen in the news. In addition to the Amsterdam show, Africa Express presents… The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians will play London’ Southbank Centre as well as festival dates across Europe including: Glastonbury, Istanbul and Roskilde Festival. Paul Weller, Bassekou Kouyaté, Bu Kolthoum, Eslam Jawaad, Faia Younan, Malikah, Mounir Troudi, Noura Mint Seymali, Rachid Taha and TALA who will join Damon Albarn as guests when The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians.

During the first six months of this year the Netherlands holds the Presidency of the European Union. But what is left of the dream of European unity? At the Holland Festival international artists present a series of performances focusing on current European issues and exploring this changing continent. The festival’s opening performance by Estonian directors Ene-Liis Semper and Tiit Ojasoo Die Stunde da wir nichts voneinander wußten shows the diversity and tensions of modern Europe. And in their film Ash and Money they focus on the phenomenon of political populism. Directors Milo Rau (The Dark Ages), Joël Pommerat (Ça ira (1) Fin de Louis), Wael Shawky (Cabaret Crusades: The Secrets of Karbala) and Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha delve into Europe’s past, exploring the effect of some of its history’s darkest chapters. From the heart of Europe, the collective God’s Entertainment stages a test about chauvinism, which is causing the European dream of unity to falter. The Dutch theatre company Wunderbaum responds to European issues in its project The New Forest. A large Syrian orchestra for Arabic music will reunite for a special concert in Africa Express Presents… The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians with Damon Albarn and Guests. Artists may not be able to change the world, but they can change the way we look at it. During the first six months of this year the Netherlands holds the Presidency of the European Union. But what is left of the dream of European unity? At the Holland Festival international artists

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dates

Wed June 22 2016 8:00 PM

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  • Duration of performance unknown

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In the spotlight tonight are the members of The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, featuring former and current members of the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music (SNOAM). The orchestra will

In the spotlight tonight are the members of The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, featuring former and current members of the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music (SNOAM). The orchestra will

be joined by performers from Britain and Syria as well as Algeria, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Tunisia and the United States, including Damon Albarn, Bassekou Kouyaté, Bu Kolthoum, Eslam Jawaad, Faia Younan, Malikah, Mounir Troudi, Noura Mint Seymali, Paul Weller, Rachid Taha, Seckou Keita, and TALA for a rare concert to showcase Syrian and Arabic music. 

 

Albarn first played with Syrian conductor Issam Rafea and SNOAM musicians at the Damascus Opera House in 2008. He later worked with Rafea and members of the orchestra when they appeared on the Gorillaz track White Flag. The musicians, together with Rafea, joined Gorillaz on their 2010 Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour which included shows at the 11th century Citadel in Damascus, Syria, as well as dates in Lebanon and across Europe and North America. 

 

As a result of the on-going conflict, many Syrian musicians – including Issam Rafea – have been forced to leave their country. This special concert will see musicians who previously worked with Albarn, travelling from both inside and outside Syria, to reunite for an orchestral performance of Arabic music alongside Albarn and the other guest performers. The event will highlight and celebrate the remarkable music culture of Syria, offering an alternative providing a more positive perspective than events currently seen in the news. As well as tonight’s concert in Amsterdam, The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians will open the UK’s high profile Glastonbury Festival, ahead of a show at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London which will be streamed globally via YouTube; with additional dates also scheduled for Istanbul and Denmark’s Roskilde Festival next week. 

 

Reunion

The orchestra members have been looking forward to working together again. ‘It’s fantastic Damon Albarn has brought the orchestra back together,’ said Rafea, who is still involved with the orchestra as a muscial advisor. ‘It was his idea – fifty former and current members of the orchestra will join the tour: twenty singers and thirty instrumentalists. It wasn’t straightforward getting so many of us together. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes – Africa Express has laboured tirelessly.’ 

 

Rafea sees this reunion as more than just a festive occasion. It is a concert for peace in a time of pain and despair: ‘I’m convinced that music can make an effective contribution towards peace. It’s no easy task, but the universal language of music can enable us to communicate openly and with a positive and peaceable attitude with musicians from other parts of the world, in spite of our differences. This is ultimately the core of any meaningful peace – in Syria, too. The orchestra is performing here with an overwhelming sense of sadness, but Syrians have decided life must go on. They don’t give up, however much pain they suffer. They carry on making music, art and theatre, in the hope of a better future. I’m sure that by using all of the energy we have in us we can show a little of Syria as it should be. We hope the situation in Syria as it should be. We hope the situation in Syria soon returns to normal.’

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credits

performers Damon Albarn, Bassekou Kouyate, Bu Kolthoum, Eslam Jawaad, Faia Younan, Malikah, Mounir Troudi, Noura Mint Seymali, Paul Weller, Rachid Taha, TALA, Seckou Keita violin Al Mothana Ali, Jamil Al Bittar, Jehad Jazba, Mhd Majed Jaredeh, Mohamad Amir Karjoli, Nawaf Hlal, Rachid Hlal, Razan Kassar, Sousan Eskandar, Tarek Zaidieh, Walid Khatba percussion Amer Dahbar, Badi Rafea, Jamal Al Sakka, Mazen Hamzeh cello Emad Moursi, Mohamad Namik, Mouhamad Souhaib Alsamman double bass Fajer Alabd Allah kanun Feras Charestan viola Joseph Samaan, Khaldoun Al Najjad, Raghad Haddad, Thaer Eid oud Maher Mahmoud nai Moslem Rahal choir Abdalhade Deb, Basel Saleh, Hamsa Mounif, Heba Fahmeh, Iyad Hanna, Lina Alshahin, Louna Mohamad, Mais Harb, Mervat Rafiea, Mirna Kassis, Mohamad Saleh, Omran Abo Zainaldin, Osama Al Sultan, Ossamah Kiwan, Raneem Barakat, Reem Rafiea, Samer Jaber, Sanaa Barakat, Tammam Taifour visuals Tammam Azzam, Jaber Al Azmeh musical advise Issam Rafea production Africa Express coproduction 14-18 NOW, Holland Festival

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