Orchestra of Syrian musicians amazes European audience in world festivals
Recently, the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians has performed songs from the Syrian heritage during world festivals held in Britain, Netherlands and Denmark.
The orchestra, which includes several professional musicians, performed the songs amid a tremendous cheer from the European audience, according to the official news agency (SANA).
The agency quoted the Syrian singer in the orchestra Iyad Hanna as saying: “We received invitation to take part in several world festivals to perform some of the works of the Syrian musician Issam Rafeaplus songs from the Syrian heritage.
The orchestra led by the musician Rashid Hlalincluded famous Syrian musicians and music players from Europe and Africa as guests”
Hanna added that the European audience was greatly surprised at the Syrian musicians.
“The Syrian orchestra’s participation in such festivals is very important to tell the whole world about Syria’s civilization,” the singer concluded.
In this context, the Telegraph newspaper reported that Damon Albarn introduced the Orchestra of the Syrian Musicians on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival.
“The sparkling flow of 90 astounding musicians playing classical, traditional and north African string instruments to a vibrantly percussive backdrop provided an immediate and welcome lift to the festival’s spirits, ” Neil McCormick said in the report published in the Telegraph paper on June 24.
Love song to Damascus
The guardian newspaper quoted one of the orchestra’s member, a Sufi-inspired hip-hop artist as saying: “The media tries to show us as savages. As terrorists. But there are different sides to every country in the world; there is the musician and the graphic designer and the coffee-shop worker. We need to show the normal side.”
Violinist Sousan Eskandar said: ““When there is violence in the world, you have to make more beautiful music, and make it more intensely.”
As the rehearsals come to a close with a rousing love song to Damascus the choir take celebratory selfies and start to dance.
Basma Qaddour