Mohammad Assaf has won Arab Idol.
I wrote about the Palestinian refugee from Gaza in an earlier diary.
I think what makes him so special, and why he has galvanized the Arab world into supporting him, is, quite simply, the incredible beauty of his voice. He has a mastery of tone and pitch as well as the intricacies of the techniques of Arabic music such as the maqam and mawwal and he has incredible range both vocally and in terms of musical styles. He can sing classical Arabic music, folk music from different regions of the Arab world, he can sing in different accents and dialects and he layers onto all that the capacity to give a unique and personal interpretation to songs that he is covering which is the mark of true artist and performer.
But what makes him most special, in my view, is his ability to evoke tarab. Tarab is a concept that does not have an English translation and the creation and experience of tarab is something that is unique to music from the former Ottoman lands. Tarab is related to the concept of koinonia or communion found in Byzantine music. It is the ecstatic, transcendent, emotional and spiritual communion between a performer and his listeners. Tarab leaves you in a state where time and space cease to be felt. But what is essential is a performer who has a voice and style that can evoke tarab. Mohammad Assaf has the talent and capacity to evoke tarab and that is why so many of us in the Arab world, and fans of Arabic music, are mesmerised and captivated by his performance.
