Hiba Tawaji Sings for Love and Nation

Internationally-acclaimed Lebanese songstress Hiba Tawaji and her compatriot composer Oussama Rahbani revived the spirit of Rahbani's musical legacy with a performance at Flag Island Theatre on the eighth’s night of the Sharjah World Music Festival.

Tawaji - an international phenomenon since competing in The Voice France in 2015 - and her fellow countryperson, prodigious producer Rahbani, treated the audience to a special night with a mix of music drawn from Arabic and western traditions.This duo features Lebanese starlet Tawaji – an international phenomenon since competing in The Voice France in 2015 – who will be alongside her countryman, prodigious producer and composer Rahbani. Expect a mix of material drawing from eastern and western traditions

Showcasing her exceptional vocal techniques, Tawaji’s set included a number of songs that revealed her style in contemporary Arabic music. Performing in front of an audience that included an elite group of Arab artists and media personalities, Tawaji sang poems that touched on the Arab world’s situation, through which she reaffirmed the ability of the music to convey meaningful messages that document the daily challenges facing the Arab world today.

With Oussama Rahbani accompanying her on piano, Tawaji addressed the audience with the song ‘Ya Habibi’ (Oh My Love), reviving the memory of the late legend Mansour Rahbani, who along with his brother Assi Rabani shaped modern Arab music and left behind a rich musical legacy of nearly three decades.

Tawaji’s play list saw the audience entertained with a number of established songs as well as newer compositions from her latest album, which she is preparing to release in the coming months. Emphasising her signature style she performed songs that combined the eloquence of Arabic poetry and blended eastern music, western jazz and pop.

Included in Tawaji’s repertoire was ‘Enta Omri’ (You Are My Life), an iconic and widely appreciated song of Um Kulthum, one of the greatest singers of the twentieth-century Arab world. She also performed the song ‘Helwa ya Baladi’ (Love you Egypt) by Egyptian-born Italian-French singer Dalida.

During the event, Tawaji enthralled the audience with her new experiences in Arabic music as she gave a musical dialogue that combined her live performance on stage with a video clip that appeared on a projection screen, reflecting the rich legacy of Rahbani music.

Encouraged by the enthusiastic audience, Tawaji sang ‘Balad Al Tanaqudh’ (Country of Contradiction) and performed songs in French which she has presented recently during a show in Paris. Drawing the concert to its conclusion Tawaji performed the song ‘I Can Explain’ in English.

Sharjah World Music Festival will pull down the curtains on its series of concerts tonight (Sunday) with a performance from the Nagham Al Emarat Band, a talented young group that specialises in the Classical Arabic genre of music. Using a mix of musical instruments the band, who will be performing with Emirati artist Jasem Mohamad, aims to enthrall the audience with a harmonious blend of traditional and oriental musical pieces.

By organising this first of its kind festival, Furat Qaddouri Music Centre seeks to boost the cultural and art presence of Sharjah and the UAE, introduce various musical cultures around the world to the UAE community and add a new dimension to the emirate’s repertoire of tourist, art and culture attractions.