A genius called Naseer Shamma

For the first time ever, the much acclaimed oud master Naseer Shamma performed alongside 60 musicians from various parts of the East and the Far East using ancient and modern classical instruments.

The Oriental Orchestra brought together more than 17 instruments, many of which are fighting extinction, at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.

The lyra, tanbur, erhu, pepa, lawto, lavta and zareb were among the distinct sounding instruments.

The orchestra brought together 22 different nationalities including musicians from Iraq, Syria, UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, China, Japan, Korea, Turkey and Greece to create an unprecedented pure oriental symphony to reflect the vibrant soul of the East.

Conducting hints

The orchestra included performers as young as 12-year-old Yousef Darwish from Egypt.

Despite so many varying instruments, which could have created a clash of sounds, the performers played incredibly well together taking little conducting hints from Shamma.

Born and raised in Iraq, Shamma quickly developed his oud playing skills and in 1998 founded the Oud House in Cairo, which recently opened a branch in Abu Dhabi.

Three of the performers were his students at the Abu Dhabi Oud House.

Shamma, adding two more strings to the traditional six-string oud, expanded the musical range of the instrument and proved his innovative and distinct skill.

Premier works

Eight of the 10 pieces were premier works composed by Shamma and were each inspired by his own personal experience in Iraq and Palestine.

Shamma's distinct talent was unveiled when he played the oud with his left hand only, leaving the audience amazed at what looked like magic.

To the novice, it looked like a rare skill, but the truth is that Shamma developed this technique in teaching handicapped and amputee children how to play the oud.

In a surprise guest appearance, Shamma invited Egyptian singer Khalid Selim, who had performed for the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival on March 24. Selim sang Abdul Halim Hafaz's Don't Confront me.

Shamma and the orchestra's performance left the audience feeling that they were more at a dance than a symphony, which involved the temptation at times to get up and move.

With one surprise after another, Shamma stunned the crowd by bringing out the traditional Turkish Sufi dance. This was a fine touch that made the night an unbeatable oriental experience.

Diverse talent

Although Shamma's talent was enough to overshadow an orchestra, there was hardly a moment during the night when it felt like this was a one-man show.

In his typical humble form, Shamma focused more on the diverse talent of his orchestra than his own. Several of the works involved various soloists performing magnificently on ancient tools.

"I wish we had time to show you each individual's ability and talent, but let me affirm that these are among the finest performers in their respective fields," Shamma said in between the songs.

In many of the solo intervals, Shamma looked at the musicians with the pride of teacher watching his disciples.