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Mohammad Assaf wins Arab Idol

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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.

One of the songs he performed on his way to victory was 'Raise the kuffiyeh' (the traditional Palestinian scarf), a love-song to Palestine which has a rhythm that lends itself to the 'dabke', a folk dance indigenous to the Levant (Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan). The audience is on its feet dancing and Mohammad even did a few steps as well:

When his name was revealed as the winner, Mohammad knelt and placed his forehead to the floor in a gesture of gratitude. After the chaos was over, he sang another song for Palestine. In the split-screen, you can see scenes of celebration in Ramallah, Gaza and Nazareth. Mohammed is draped in a Palestinian flag.

After his win he stated:

"A revolution is not just the one carrying the rifle, it is the paintbrush of an artist, the scalpel of a surgeon, the axe of the farmer," he said. "Everyone struggles for their cause in the way they see fit. Today I represent Palestine and today I am fighting for a cause through my art and the message I send out."
This story from CNN has more detail in English on his win as well as the jubilation across Palestine:

This quote from the CNN story highlights what I think is incredibly beautiful about his win:

The Palestinian people can speak in a million languages full of beauty, love and peace to the Arab world and to the whole world, the Palestinian people don't love wars and killing and destruction.
Judge Nancy Ajram adds this:
We in the Arab world have bright young talented people and we know how to dream big.
UNRWA offered Mohammad the position of UN Regional Youth Ambassador for Palestinian Refugees, the first Palestinian to become an UNRWA ambassador. The Palestinian Authority offered him the position of Goodwill Diaspora Ambassador. The latter position will give him a diplomatic passport and allow easier entry for him into the West Bank, which is forbidden for most Gazans by Israel.

As part of his win, Mohammad will start recording for Platinum records and will perform in his first concert with fellow finalists in Dubai on August 15 with Farah Youssef from Aleppo, Syria and Ahmad Gamal from Egypt.

It's an amazing coincidence that three finalists were from such trouble spots. Each had their own fears and struggles and Farah Youssef touched me particularly in one episode where she referred to the uprising in Syria not as the Arab Spring but 'the spring of pain'. In a story by CNN international, you can see each of the finalists speaking about their situation and how they try to cope and still have hope. Farah Youssef breaks down when talking about the situation back home:

The beauty of these young voices from Palestine, Egypt and Syria is haunting since they have to experience this suffering and yet they still manage to transcend it and create something beautiful from it all. For a few hours each week the Arab world was united. I was watching one episode with my mother and commented on this unity. She replied: 'Arabs are only united by music and poetry'. I hope these talented young people can prove her wrong.


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