Orchestra “Hand Pan” led by Syrian Anas Al-Halabi is classified as best band in Dubai Festival
The Hand-Pan Orchestra, led by the Syrian youth Anas Al-Halabi, won the award for the best integrated musical group, as part of the “Dubai Festival For Youth Music”, which was held on the 25th of last November in Dubai, with the participation of a group of young artists and musicians.
Al-Halabi is considered the first Arab player to perform oriental percussion on the “Hand Pan” instrument, especially since it is Western-made and was invented in Switzerland in 2001. It is made of stainless steel and weighs 8 kg.
In a statement to a SANA reporter, Al-Halabi noted that the “Hand Pan” orchestra was established last year and included 82 musicians from 23 countries around the world who gathered in the United Arab Emirates. What distinguishes this instrument from other musical instruments is that the frequency of the sound it gives out is the same as the frequency of the water surrounding the fetus, which has been proven by studies and research that it is used in musical therapy.
Al-Halabi, who resides in the Emirates, said: The main goal of participating in the festival, to which he was invited to by the Culture and Arts Authority in Dubai, is to “represent my country as a Syrian artist, who established the first orchestra capable of participating in important music festivals and conveying the true picture of music, as the universal language of love and peace. It is also an opportunity to express and support our capabilities and technical skills.”
About how he knew the instrument and his love for it, Al-Halabi stated that he was not satisfied with playing the percussion in Syria at the age of nine, but his love for music pushed him to search and learn about everything new and strange in the musical world, until he reached the “Hand-pan” instrument through YouTube and collected the details he needed about it. Then he began his journey with this instrument, considering that a state of magic and insanity captivated him when he heard its sound.
It is noteworthy that Anas Al-Halabi, son of the As-Suwayda governorate, was born in the city of Aleppo. He participated in many Arab and international festivals in Dubai, India, Italy and Morocco.