| Tarshiha, Upper Galilee, Israel, 1955) is an Arab Israeli (Palestinian) oud and violin virtuoso and composer.The Shaheen family is known for its musicality.Following high school, he attended Tel Aviv University, earning degrees in Arabic literature and music performance."We're sorry, this request cannot be completed.Simon Shaheen is a virtuoso and master of traditional Arab music...Simon Shaheen is a virtuoso and master of traditional Arab music...Gift CertificatesBuy one for a friend!Simon Shaheen dazzles his listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles.His soaring technique, melodic ingenuity, and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on the 'oud and violin.In the 1990s he released four albums of his own: Saltanah (Water Lily Acoustics), Turath (CMP), Taqasim (Lyrichord), and Simon Shaheen: The Music of Mohamed Abdel Wahab (Axiom), while also contributing cuts to producer Bill Laswell's fusion collective, Hallucination Engine (Island).But perhaps his greatest success has come with Blue Flame (ARK21, 2001), where he leads his group, Qantara, on a labyrinthian journey through the world of fusion music to discover the heart of the Middle East.Palestinian, born in the village of Tarshiha in the Galilee, Shaheen's childhood was steeped in music."Learning to play on the 'oud from my father was the most powerful influence in my musical life," Shaheen recalls.Held in New York, the festival showcases the work of the finest Arab artists, while presenting the scope, depth and quality of Arab culture.Held each summer at Mount Holyoke College, this weeklong intensive program of Arabic music studies draws participants from the U.The disc featured two instrumental cuts by Shaheen and Qantara, which, only begins to show the band's range and capabilities ."Western fusion," and the Washington Post termed it "eminently cosmopolitan."So when
Simon Shaheen appeared on stage late in the afternoon, the quiet that settled
around him was his audience's way of acknowledging a special maestro.American musicians, poets, authors,
filmmakers, and scholars.Egyptian Radio's "Voice of the Arabs."Sunbati, Mohamed Abdel Wahhab and
others.Umm Kalthoum "used to come on the air on the first Thursday of each month,"
Shaheen recalls with a smile.The next morning I would hum the introduction and different parts for my
father, and he would notate them."Shaheen went on to earn his bachelor's degree in literature and music from the
Academy of Music in Jerusalem, where he later taught.Simon Shaheen has made New York City his base for both the
preservation of traditional Arab music and the exploration of artistic
frontiers.He composes both alone
and in collaboration with others."He is the product of two traditions.Shaheen is also a master of taqasim, or improvisations.Shaheen's improvisations "invoke all the possible wealth of
the maqam and rhythm," says poet and musician Mansour Ajami.Likewise, modal shifts and unexpected rhythmic phrases fill his popular
compositions, such as "Sama'i Kurd Shaheen."The resulting level of invention
within traditional form is unrivaled among today's composers.By late 1995, Shaheen had three further
recordings in progress.Ever since he was a boy, Shaheen's artistic openness and gregarious personality
have propelled him across cultural boundaries, and in New York, he has
delighted in the city's trove of artistic possibilities."At the same time, I've been exposed to many ideas.New York who have widened my perspective."Rolling Stone called Material's
1994 "Hallucination Engine" "One groovy om of exhilaration and release."Arab backgrounds, Shaheen reaches
out to help them grasp the sensibility and structure of Arab music.January in Haifa, played in
honor of his father, featured his recent compositions, "Long Kurd Shaheen" and
"Al Cantra."His debut in Lebanon, scheduled for this year, will mark the
fulfillment of his personal dream to perform, at last, in Beirut.But his greatest hope, he says, is to make
music "that people will view as sincere and without boundaries."What to Listen For:
Simon Shaheen has some advice for those listening to Arab music for the first
time."Think with your voice when you listen to Arab music.Saudi Arabia, Kay Hardy Campbell wrote for
the Arab News and the Saudi Gazette.She lives near Boston,
where she plays the 'ud with the Middle East Orchestra and Chorus.The work of photojournalist David H.He recently covered the Palestinian elections for JB Pictures of New
York.The magazine's goal is to broaden knowledge of the Arab
and Muslim worlds and the history, geography and economy of Saudi
Arabia.Simon Shaheen was born the son of a composer in northern Galilee.Inevitably, a musician of Shaheen's caliber received many invitations to collaborate with artists in other genres."Living in New York, you can't avoid fusion," he said back in 1995.Just mix things together.It was very authentic, very powerful, very creative."The result is Qantara, which means "arch."I've tried to come up with a formula that is original, interesting musically, but not harming the roots.You might see a garden with this beautiful little pool with of water.The album has been acclaimed as a masterpiece."Everybody was there," he said afterwards.We slept in the same place.Relevance
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