As part of its participation in the 54th Cairo International Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), organised a musical evening titled ‘Classical Arabic Singing Concert: Between Abu Al Tayyib and Shawqi – A Selection of the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan’s Favourite Poems’, in collaboration with Egypt’s Cultural Development Fund.

The event shed light on the legacy of Abu Al Tayyib Al Mutanabbi, whose work was much loved by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, as well as on the memorable writings of Ahmed Shawqi, highlighting the leading role the two poets played in the history and development of Arab poetry.

Held at Qubbat al Ghouri in Cairo, the evening featured the Aseel Band for Contemporary Arabic Music performing lyrical texts by the two great poets, composed by Mostafa Saeed.  

“This event reaffirmed the deep-seated cultural connections between the Emirati and Egyptian peoples, long united by a passion for the great art forms of poetry and music. Both are integral elements of our Arab culture, and powerful instruments for creative dialogue,” said HE Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC. “We selected texts by two of our greatest Arab poets, Abu Al Tayyib Al Mutanabbi and Ahmed Shawqi, who, despite living centuries apart, are connected by the same values and inspiration, both understanding the true essence of the Arabic language and the intellectual, scientific, artistic, cultural, and human heritage behind it.”

Composer and researcher in the sciences of melody, Mostafa Saeed stands out with his approach to developing Arabic music from within its original system. He has led theoretical and applied artistic projects that captured the attention of Arabic classical music enthusiasts around the world, earning him an array of awards for his work – most notably, the Aga Khan Award for Classical Music (2019), the Maqam Festival Award in Baku, Azerbaijan (2009), and the Arab Music Festival Award in Cairo (2003), in the Oud category. Saeed founded the Aseel Band for Contemporary Arabic Music in 2003 to be a practical implementation of his project ‘Modern Classical Arabic Music’.

The band was established to perform contemporary melodies developed out of traditional Arab musical heritage, offering a truly new perspective on Arabic music and expanding the horizon for this genre in terms of instruments played, performance, group work, singing, and experimentation in direct instrumental sounds, and musical thought. Many of the band’s productions are derived from poetic, literary, historical, and musical works.

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