Dubai Moroccan classical singer Karima Al Seqelli invoked the spirit of Pan-Arab singer Umm Kalthoum (1898-1975) to captivate the audience at the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation.
At a concert held to mark the conclusion of the two-day celebrations of the Foundation's Cultural Awards' 12th session and its silver jubilee, Al Seqelli held centre stage with enduring Pan-Arab classics of the legend. Winners of the Cultural Awards in addition to prominent intellectuals and lovers of Arab music listened in rapt attention.
Besides Umm Kalthoum's Raq El Habib (The lover's heart softened) and Sirat El Houb (A love's tale), she also sang Mohammad Abdul Wahab's Ana Wel Athab we Hawak (Me, your love's torment and your love) and La Mish Ana Ili Abki (No, it is not I that'll cry).
The host of the concert described Al Seqelli as the "revival of the good old days of classical Arabic Music" and that she "performs old classics with a youthful spirit and performs modern music in a classical spirit".
Dubbed ‘Morocco's Asmahan', as her voice resembles the late Arab singer Asmahan (1912-1944), Al Seqelli is as accomplished rendering golden oldies that are part of Arab musical heritage as modern melodies and classical Arabic compositions.
She has also been credited with giving Moroccan music a modern touch.
On the comparison with Asmahan, Al Seqelli said she respected the voice and the style of the late singer and was honoured with the title of ‘Morocco's Asmahan', but had never meant to copy the singer. She declared she was just "an apprentice in the school of Asmahan".
Precocious talent
Al Seqelli's talent shone at the tender age of nine, but she was first recognised in 1999, for her performance of one of the songs of the late singer Asmahan at the Festival and Conference of the Arab Music, held at Cairo's Opera House. Her love of Arabic music led her to study music, which helped her further hone her talent.
The audience sat spellbound by her musical charm for nearly three hours.
Wadah Yousuf, one of the guests, could only hope for more such concerts. "She has a beautiful voice and sings effortlessly… it is wrong to deprive people of such a beautiful talent, the new generation should learn from her."
Khadeeja Mustafa, also from the audience said that the "concert was incredible, and as long as the art performed is graceful and courtly, then it is beautiful."
"It is an honour to be participating in the 12th session of the Owais Cultural Awards, which celebrates huge names in the literary and scientific world. The amazing thing about this session was that everything was in balance, when we spoke about culture we saw culture reflected in the audience and when we spoke about good manners, we saw good listening manners from the audience." Al Seqelli told Gulf News after the concert.
She couldn't complain for she had received two standing ovations from an appreciative audience.
