omazuz - 10-11-2010 at 08:38 AM
Hello
Sorry for the hebrew
http://www.confederationhouse.org/index.php?page=12
This the Oud festival in Israel Jerusalem
Please no Political comments
Ofer
Alfaraby - 10-11-2010 at 02:47 PM
Despite the good will, there's almost no oud at this Oud Festival, all the more so Arabic oud
! How come this manager/organizer EFY something ignores distinguished oud players around like : Tayseer Elias, Kamil Shajrawy, Nizar Rohana, Samir
Makhoul, Michael Maroun etc. , Watar Quartate, Alfaraby Orchestra conducted by maestro Samy Khasheboun, Almasiah Orchestra conducted by maestro Kamil
Shajrawy, among others ? By the way, Simon Shaaheen also happens to be here in a home vacation & performance these very weeks, so why not invite
him ?
The manager also does not make any homework to see who's who in the musical scenery in Israel &/or Palestine . What's his problem to invite some
Palestinian musicians, 1-2 km. away, to take part in the festival ? Does'nt he know that in Jerusalem & Ramallah there are tens of musicians &
oud players who may perform, for the Israeli audience, music they've never experienced before ?! I wonder !
Moreover, eventhough Tarshiha Orchestra was a total failure last festival, he insists to invite them over again this year ! What a pity !
This is no politics at all, Ofer dear, just music !
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
John Erlich - 10-12-2010 at 10:49 AM
I believe (almost) all of the oudists mentioned by Alfaraby have performed at past Oud Festivals, at least the Palestinian citizens of Israel (Elias,
Makhoul, Maroun, etc.).
It seems to me that the "Oud Festival," has perhaps moved WAY beyond being an oud festival and should consider CHANGING ITS NAME. I know how
difficult that is...the 1969 U.S. festival organizers kept the name "Woodstock Festival" even after the Town of Woodstock refused them a permit and
they moved the event 50 miles away to Bethel, NY!
Alfaraby, I think you should send a letter or email to the Festival organizers (http://www.confederationhouse.org/english/index.php?page=3) expressing your concerns as dispassionately as you possibly can. I would be
interested to hear their response.
I imagine that most music festivals, over time, evolve toward inviting whatever performers they believe, based on experience, will attract a
good-sized audience. Unfortunately, they can only go so far in bucking their potential audience's politics or underdeveloped musical taste. Case and
Point: The “Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee,” in my California hometown, which changed its name from “Dixieland Jubilee,” trying to be
more “hip,” but is still mostly Dixieland Jazz and, IMHO, a TOTAL JOKE as an attempt at a serious cultural event!
Peace/Shalom/Salaam,
John