One of the favorite traditions of the oud festival is a tribute to the greats of Arab music in the 20th century, organized and performed by oud master Prof. Taiseer Elias together with his ensemble. This year, the tribute will be dedicated to the canonical works of four of the greatest musicians of Egypt—Prima Donna Umm Kolthoum (Sit al-Kul); the “Singer of Kings” Muhammad Abd al-Wahab; “King of the Oud” Farid al-Atrash; and the dreamer, “al-Andalib al-Asmar,” Abd al-Halim Hafez. Elias, one of the greatest musicians and oud players in the world today, created an immersive sound show that includes a wide spectrum of works in a rich variety of musical styles. The ensemble includes artists of the first rank in Israel, as well as two soloists, among the most prominent and famous in Israel and abroad: Violet Salameh and Maamun Zayud. To perform the songs of Abd al-Wahhab and Hafez, the great and well-known singer Faysel Benhaddou will come to us from Morocco.
Prof. Taiseer Elias, oud, musical direction and editing; Violet Salameh, vocals; Faysel Benhaddou, vocals; Maamun Zayud, vocals; Firas Isami, violin; Verdi Harb, violin; Isa Awwad, qanoun | Jamil Bishtawi, nai; Elias Shalash, riq; Ramzi Bisharat, darbuka; Salam Bader, accordion
