Canadian orchestra started by wife-husband duo wants to revive classical Arabic music
Posted September 8, 2022 8:30 am.
Last Updated September 8, 2022 6:47 pm.
A Canadian orchestra is vying to revive the musical legends of the Arab world.
The Canadian Arabic Orchestra was in Montreal as part of their cross-country tour across to showcase historic Arabic music.
“Arabic music is very rich in its heritage and its roots and everyone who was raised or have been in connection with the Arab world, they felt this importance of having Arabic music present in Canada,” said Wafa Al Zaghal, the orchestra’s president and CEO.
“And for us it’s really important because music is the only thing that we can use now to unite people together.”
The Canadian Arabic Orchestra was founded by husband-wifo duo Al Zaghal and Lamees Audeh, and registered as a non-profit in 2015.
“Basically we started out as a duo, me and Wafa,” said Audeh, the orchestra’s vice-president and music director. “Basically he was playing the qanun and I was playing the piano. We decided to start playing ever since we got married, then we moved to Canada.”
The group started as five-person choir. Now there are more than 30 people in the orchestra.
“It started snowballing into something bigger and bigger,” said Audeh.
“We have moved pretty quickly to being small to now this. It’s pretty amazing,” added Al Zaghal.
The couple says the orchestra is dedicated to connecting people through music.
It celebrates the diversity of Canada’s cultural mosaic with classical Arabic music from all corners of the Arab world, from past to present, and at times fusing classical western and other world music.
“This type of music is printed in our memories throughout watching the movies or being there, it’s connected to some very nice moments for each one of us,” said Al Zaghal. “And it’s very important for us to use it here in Canada to bring people together and feel the unity of them as Arabs in western countries like Canada here.”
“We shed light on valuable music heritage, which is Arabic music, and we show it in such a nice and interesting light that is worthy of this music,” added Audeh. “Because we don’t want it to be represented in the wrong place.”
The Canadian Arabic Orchestra continues its tour of Canada with stops in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and more, before heading to Jerusalem.
