Among Those Beautiful I Chose You: Suleiman Harfoush and Issa Najjar

Damascus, (ST)- Under the motto “Between the Past and Present” the Syrian artist Suleiman Harfoush revived a traditional musical concert hosted recently by the multi-functional hall at Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Art, under the conduct of Maestro Kamal Skikker leading the orchestra.
By his erudite voice Syrian artist Suleiman Harfoush took the audience in a Journey through time, presenting some works of grand Syrian and Egyptian composers including: Adnan Abu Shammat, Sayed Darwish, Karem Mahmoud, Mohammed Abdul Wahab, Issa Najjar, Sheikh Imam, Mohammed Sultan, Sayed Makkawi and Amin Al-Jundi.
The opening song was entitled Safa’ (serinity) composed and distributed by Maestro Skikker. Then, Harfoush with his tenor voice made his audience float over the clouds of traditional songs like HatihaYa Sahi by Adnan Abu Shammat, Khafif Elrooh by Sayed Darwish, The Night of Farewell by Mohamed Abdel Wahab.
The musical traditional concert was intervened by two amazing songs that have been performed by Hasfoush for the first time in public; which lyrics and musical composition is attributed to the great contemporary Syrian composer Issa Najjar. The first called Min beyn halhelwin nayatak (Among those beauties I chose you). In addition to Tir ya hamam (Fly You Pigeon) lyrics writer and composer Issa Najjar too.The song which witnessed the greatest attention in the middle of the concert, where the audience interacted with it by chant or applause, because of its melodious tone talking about the separation of beloved ones during the years of war.
It is to be noticed that Sulaiman Harfoush, is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Music, who has been an envoy to Greece to pursue specialization in vocal studies and singing techniques for two years. Mr. Harfoush has participated in many traditional musical festivals with the national Syrian Orchestra for Arabic Music.

Lama Alhassanieh