Jordanian singer-songwriter Omar Al Abdallat and Palestinian pop star Mohammed Assaf brought their folk flare to Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah on Friday night, giving audiences a night to remember.
Assaf — no stranger to this particular venue — opened the evening with his latest hit, Besaraha. He performed live renditions of his tracks Felli Bala Ma Nehki and Al Hawara, but he put his own touch on a few tracks, too. The ‘Arab Idol’ alum debuted a couple of live covers: Ya Baya’een El Hawa, originally by popular Syrian singer George Wassouf, and Al Asami, by Tunisian singer Thekra.
True to his Palestinian roots, Assaf performed folk hits such as ‘Ya Teer El Tayera’ and ‘Ween A Ramallah’. However, it was his famous track ‘Alli Al Kufiyah’, an ode to the traditional black-and-white chequered Palestinian scarf, that brought the venue to a fever pitch.
In a touching moment, Assaf also performed Mahaid Hamad’s ‘Allah Ya Dar Zayed’ to celebrate the UAE, before concluding his set with Makanak Khaly.
Meanwhile, Al Abdallat performed for the first time in Sharjah, marking the occasion with a mix of Bedouin music, patriotic tracks and Jordanian folk, such as ‘Nezlin Ala Al Bustan’, ‘Habhabni Ala Al Khadeen’, ‘Ballah Tesobo Halqahwa’ and ‘Wasari Sar Al Leil’. His timeless track ‘Ya Saad’ was the ultimate crowd pleaser.
There was a special moment in the night, when Assaf joined Al Abdallat on stage for ‘Ya Jabal Ma Yhezak Reeh’, as a tribute to Palestine.
The concert belongs to a new season of events at the amphitheatre dubbed #letsmajaz, ongoing until April. The next scheduled concert will welcome Aziz and Adham Nabulsi to the stage, with tickets starting from Dh100.
