KAMIL MOWAIS, NAZARETH - 53 YEARS MAKING QUALITY OUDS

The Master Luthier: Kamil Mowais of Nazareth كميـل مو يـس - الناصرة : 53 عاماً في صناعة الأعواد
By: Jamil Elias, Nazareth.

Kamil (Camille) Mowais is probably the most eminent luthier in the Holy Land. He has supplied hundreds with the best ouds ever seen and heard around, in the second half of the 20th century. One can hardly find an oud player who hasn't got, or at least once owned, one of Kamil's ouds.

His efforts have always been focused on producing sound. Although he has built beautiful ouds throughout the years, his main interest has always been, and abides in the art of sound reproduction. His main concern was and still is, as he states, "Bracing, bracing; all the other issues are solvable."

Kamil made his first oud when he was still a 22 year old young man back in 1959. The building of his first instrument was part of his leisure time, but fortunately he continued to build ouds as a growing interest during this time. At an early age he retired from his job as a carpenter, and devoted himself solely to luthiery. Kamil constantly tells his guests that before starting to make his first oud he had never actually seen oud-making in progress. He has learned the whole process by himself. Initially he used to replicate Nahat's, Fadel's and others' ouds, brought to him for minor repair jobs; but then eventually started to make his own unique style.

In his first steps in carpentry, Kamil used to watch his masters, the most skilled carpenters in the city, make furniture and he fell in love with wood. From the early age of 14 he was convinced he wanted to be a carpenter, specializing in highly complicated jobs. Kamil fulfilled his dream and worked as a skilled carpenter for over 25 years, until he had to retire in the mid 1970's, for medical reasons, at the young age of roughly 40.

Kamil worked alone throughout the years with no apprentices, associates or employees. He has never had any assistance whatsoever, not even from his brothers or children. He would make all the decisions for his creations himself. from general aspects like wood species to the last tiny details of polishing and tuning. No one has ever touched an oud he was making until it was completely finished, polished and tuned.

Up to the last couple of years, he used to carve his own pegs, until the famous ready made Indian pegs took over his own. Generally, he has never bought any ready made parts except for strings. He still makes his own purflings and ornamentation by himself, and even used to cut his own soundboards from the wood of local fir trees until recently, when the ready made European spruce and Canadian cedar soundboards became obtainable through the internet.

His workshop is as simple and primitive as a 18-19th century luthiers' workshop! Except for the electric saw and drill, all other tools are the same known: rulers, vise, files, plane, saws, drills, hammers, reamers, chisels, knives, molds, pliers, pencils, nails, sandpaper, hot glue, shellac and etc. One can breathlessly stand still in his 10-12 sq. meters workshop, staring around and wondering how these few basic tools and raw materials are capable of producing such a beautiful musical instrument out of a couple of logs leaning against the wall. "The hands, not the tools - no matter how many or how sophisticated they are - make the instrument come to life.”

Mowais has made his bowls out of every available wood, including rosewood, ebony, wenge, maple, pear, cherry, paddock and etc. But his favorite has always been walnut, first local, then when endangered African and American walnut. "Walnut is the most suitable wood for producing the well-known deep mellow sound of the Syrian oud", says the master, "I've tried every possible wood I'd bumped into while hunting, but came into conclusion there's no equivalent to the walnut for our Arabic traditional ouds.” (Needless to say, hunting is Kamil's other hobby). This is why 90 % of Mowais’ bowls in the past decade are made from walnut, sometimes integrated with other wood, but generally just pure walnut.

Mowais used to make highly ornamented soundboards with mother of pearl inlays. Most of his ouds are well known for his detailed work on the soundboards, but lately he has quit inlaying M.O.P or any other materials in his ouds, concluding that "Ouds should be all wooden. The word "oud" in Arabic means ‘a piece of wood’, so the name just suits the instrument".

Kamil's soundboards are made of spruce and red cedar. He believes cedar gives immediate results, while spruce needs time to get better. "Players can afford to wait to get better sound, luthiers can't". Therefore he tends to use more cedar, claiming that the sound you'd hear when the oud is finished is the same you'll hear 10 years later! On the other hand, spruce is supposed to improve and might even exceed cedar in the years to come!

At the age of 75, Kamil Mowais rarely makes ouds, and for more than half a century now has only had some unexpected recesses. In every oud he makes, he tries to reach for the ultimate sound, sometimes with great success, sometimes, with even greater!

Personal p.s: I first met Kamil in 1978, when I ordered my first oud , and kept in touch with him ever since. My last visit was on April 22, 2012 when he proudly introduced his last beauty. By doing this he unintentionally closed a full 50 years' circle for me. The oldest oud he had once shown me was a 1962 piece work of art, brought to him by it’s original owner for maintenance!

So here is how 50 years oud making looks like.

More photos to come ...

Yours indeed
Alfaraby



1962

1975

1978 (restored lately)

1982: see here http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=10917

More photos :


2007
2008
2009
2010

& More


6/6/2011

9/12/2011

Latest oud :

2012

I hope you like them !

I may find some soundfile in my mess. Just excuse me for a while & I shall post them as well.

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

hello Alfaraby-thanks for sharing this heart warming story of Kamil Mowais, and the many photos of his ouds.

looking forward to some sound clips!

best, MW

Thanks Guys !
As I've indicated, Kamil is 75 years old. He's not familiar with English and never touched a computer. He lives alone with his spouse after their kids got married, therefore it's hard to ask him to be on the web. Anyhow, he thinks it's "too late" !
I tried several times to convince him to launch a site or even a page in facebook, offering my help, but he consistently refused.
On the other hand, Kamil refuses to publish himself in any other method, assuming his ouds were and shall always be his agents. Moreover he does not work regularly and can't stand the current demand for ouds !
Well, I gave up.

Here are some more photos of one of the latest ouds.
I hope you'd like it as well !

Thanks indeed
Alfaraby



2012

Amazing work, the last Oud is my favorite!! Can I please hear it???

hello Alfaraby- I can understand Kamil not bothering with a computer at 75, apparently not using one up to now has not been any problem with making his ouds available to those who seek him out. With the last set of photos dated 12.04.2012, do you mean he finished this oud on this date? what a beauty!

I'd also like to say to Adel Salameh (if he sees this) that it is really nice to have professional oud players contribute to the forum; he is one of my favorite players.

regards, MW

Thanks guys. I'm honored !

There's an Arabic idiom that says : "The shoemaker is barefoot" ! Of all Kamil's ouds, I've forgotten the most precious oud on Earth !
my oud !
How could I have done something like this to my "wife" ?

So here it is !

1991

Enjoy
Yours indeed
Alfaraby

))))))

Quote: Originally posted by Adel Salameh

I believe Kamil Mowais has improved a lot with age .... a real master Luthier

For the first time ever on the web, here are some photos of Master Luthier Kamil Mowais, back then and now.
See ? Time do make some changes. Oh ! Ask ME !
In the latest photos, taken lately, the master is double-checking an oud of our friend Nizar Rohana, while he's in a long tour in Europe .
Nizar has some of the finest Kamil's ouds. He deserved each one of them. This one as well .

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

What a great thread, I am enjoying every single post!
Jamil, thank you very much for this wonderful thread.
I must say, I am in love with these ouds. They look very clean and sound Arabic. You better have mine ready when I come

I'm with you Bibo10, I am in love with these ouds, have mine ready when I come too!

Dear Alfaraby, may I ask, how does Kamil make his rosettes? They are so beautiful.

Thanks guys ! I shall make sure you'll get the best oud ever

Here's another recording:

Prof. Taiseer Elias trying one of Kamil Mowais's ouds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOaPSFEVLcs&feature

Enjoy it as well

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Thank you Alfaraby for this beautiful and such important thread!

I have been visiting Kamil regularly in the last 4 years and i played almost every single instrument he produced since then. I think it is amazing how Kamil managed constantly to produce a high quality sound out of each sinle oud! Kamil Mowais's ouds are of the finest Arabic ouds available today!

And thank you my friend for the photos and video of my new oud! I'm extremely happy and excited knowing that such a beautiful oud is waiting for me when i come back home!

Quote: Originally posted by MatthewW

If anyone has not yet seen the thread on Kamil, please enjoy: http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=12901#pid87...

Thanks Mathew for reminding fellow members of this important thread, especially while KM (Mathew's proffered initials for Kamil Mowais ) 7 courses ouds are mentioned in another important thread.

Though KM has made some in the past, he's not eager nor a fan of the concept of adding 7th high string to the oud .
I do understand & join this reluctance.

Nevertheless, It should be noted that the old Egyptian oud of the 18th century was a 7 courses oud, as observed by the French scientists in the 18-19 centuries turn. The lower string was strung underneath the highest string (like Monir Bashir's used to do with the low C) !

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Here's another clip by a less famous Palestinian player, Niqola Marjieh from Nazareth, playing Mohammad Abdelwahab's rare Sama'i Huzam.
Needless to say: on Kamil Mowais's oud !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhaniveBlIk&feature=relmfu

A gifted musician. Yes indeed.

Enjoy

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Mabrouk Ameer! Play it in good health, I am sure you will be enjoying it for many years. A player like you deserves a great oud.

Some of us would love to see pictures of it if you can manage it . . .

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka

Some of us would love to see pictures of it

1000 Mabrouk, young friend. The whole pleasure was mine meeting you & your folks.

What a surprise ? The oud you picked is shown in page 1 of this thread, dated 09/12/2011.

It's THE oud to my ears and you've chosen one of the best balanced ouds Kamil had made last year. He did not show it to anybody, since I asked him not to . I kept telling him this oud should go to whom who deserve it & he just knew the moment he saw you, you're the right person, even without asking me !

Play it with good health and never sell it . I mean NEVER ! This oud should only be inherited within the family, to your grandchildren, inshallah

It would be great though to let our fellow members hear its sound under your fingers, as I did

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

1977 Rare Finding