16th annual Arab Cultural Festival celebrated in Union Square

October opened with the 16th annual Arab Cultural Festival in Union Square. Sponsored by the Arab Cultural & Community Center of San Francisco, the Arab Cultural Festival showcased the best of Arabic music, arts, culture and dance. In the morning tents arose in the square and a souq or “Arabic Bazaar” was born.

Not merely a place to purchase items, the souq in Arab culture is a place to pass on generations of cultural traditions. Those assembled on the square had a magical opportunity to witness and absorb the cultural traditions of a people through the food, spices, jewelry and cultural performances found only in these open markets.

The cultural performances were exceptional, notably the music that was delivered with outstanding musicianship: a magic carpet ride of intricate rhythms and melodic curvature.

The music part of the festival opened with Moroccan multi-instrumentalist Yassir Chadly and his ensemble. In the opening compositions Yassir Chadly played a rare Moroccan Gimbri a three stringed bass plucked lute.

He was accompanied by three percussionists playing Qraqeb a large iron castenet. The rhythmic clacking of the Qraqeb made a percussive contrast to the low thump of the Gimbri and is somewhat analogous to the cymbal and bass in jazz sound.

Yassir switched to Oud a Middle Eastern pear shaped plucked lute. He was joined by Bouchaib Abdelhadi on doumbek, a goblet style drum, and vocals. Compositions ranged from the melodic love songs of the Magreb and Egyptian tradition to the powerful rhythms of the Gnawa, the Sufi musicians from Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the middle of the set Bouchaib Abdelhadi played a mesmerizing virtuosic doumbek solo replete with unusual rhythmic turns, fills, flims and flams. He was accompanied by Yassir and two other percussionists playing bendir a type of frame drum that has a charicteristic buzz tone. At one point in the solo the doumbek was played with such presto non presto rhythmic speed that the players hands were a blur: impossible for the naked eye to follow.

In addition to the exquisite music, fine haberdashery was also on display. Yassir wore a luminous green turban with a black peak, Bouchaib Abdelhadi had a bright red Moroccan fez with black tassel, and one of the bendir players sported a yellow and gold taqiyah. All tastefully worn.

The set concluded with a rousing rendition of the good ol’ American tune ‘O Suzannah’ played and sung in Arabic and English by Yassir on the Oud accompanied by percussionists on doumbek, and bendirs.

The grand finale was energetically delivered by vocalist Salma Habib accompanied by local percussionists and members of the group Zikrayat an ensemble devoted to presenting classical Arabic dance and folkloric repertories.

The ensemble consisted of riqq, doumbek, kanun, and world renoun Arabic violinst Sami Abu Shumays. The kanun can be considered the psaltery of the Middle East and the kanun player in this ensemble was par excellence. The kanun playing was shimmering, clear and sonically seasoned with microtones that give Arabic music its haunting sound.

Zikrayat did a supurb job of accompaning Salma Habib. It is difficult to describe in words Salma Habib’s voice. . . it was so poetic, filled with beauty, elegance, passion and even humor at times. Animated and clear she sang many delightful songs that had the audience singing and clapping along.

A woman of extraordinary beauty, her glances were divine and her smile captivating. As she sang children with Palestenian flags and sparkles painted on their faces played in the audience with toddlers dressed in traditional costumes. Towards the end of the set men and women arose to do a circle dance until the energetic conclusion.

The announcer came on immediately following the performance and passionately exclaimed: “. . .those negative stereotypes in the media, [of Arabic people] they’re not us. This is who we are we like to sing we like to dance we like to celebrate!!”. An old man in the audience yelled loudly: “we want peace, PEACE!!” to which the audience erupted with overwhelming applause.

The cultural events concluded with Sudanese dances by the Sudanese Cultural Association of Northern California, including a rare colorful bridal dance. Thus the Arab Cultural Festival 2010 drew to a close.

If you missed the festival or were there and would like to see more, opportunities abound!

Yassir Chadly will present a concert “Purely Moroccan” at La Pena in Berkeley on October 29, 2010.

Zikrayat is celebrating their new release 'Cinematic' available at the zikrayat music webpage

ASWAT, the bay area Arabic music ensemble will present a concert at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in downtown Oakland, on November 14, 2010.