Muwashshah
During the lockdown days of 2020, Oxford Maqam's Martin Stokes and Tarik Beshir took a deep, transcriptional dive into the 1932 Cairo Congress muwashshah recordings made by Sheikh Darwish Al-Hariri. Since then, Oxford Maqam has put on several concerts of this repertoire that had sadly fallen out of public performance practice.
Creative Collaborations: 'Ottoman-Arabic Classical Music, from Aleppo to Cairo'
More recently, Maqam had the good fortune to take part in a collaborative project with Aleppan music specialist Ibrahim Muslimani, funded by the British Council in Turkey. Ibrahim is a Syrian expert in the Aleppo music tradition, percussionist, author, broadcaster and teacher, and the subject of Canadian director Amar Chebib's well-known documentary Wajd: Songs of Separation. Over the years he has studied with several important Syrian masters including Hassan Basal, Zuhair Menini, Fateh Abuzaid, and Saif al-Din Zain al-Abidin. He is also founder-director of “Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture” since 2016.
During the first stage of the project (January 2023, UK), we held two roundtable discussions and concerts in Kings College London and Oxford University. In March 2023, we will be travelling to Ibrahim Muslimani in Gaziantep, Turkey, to complete the project and continue the process of collaboration and exchange that has already been so rewarding.
Project details below (EN, TR, عربي)
#Yaratıcıİşbirlikleri
#CreativeCollaborations

More on Ibrahim Muslimani:
Ibrahim is a graduate of the Department of Television and Cinema Studies at Gaziantep University, founder of the Nawa Band in 2009, with whom he has recorded two albums: NAWA Ancient Sufi Invocations & Forgotten Songs from Aleppo, and Wasl Album and book. NAWA is a group interested in reviving and disseminating muwashshahat and quddud of both kind: religious and ghazali, and documenting chapters from the inherited dhkir in Syria.
He is also founder-director of “Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture” established in 2016.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IbrahimMuslimani?app=desktop
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ibrahim-muslimani
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ibrahim_muslimani?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ibrahim.Muslimani.fans?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Ibrahim is a graduate of the Department of Television and Cinema Studies at Gaziantep University, founder of the Nawa Band in 2009, with whom he has recorded two albums: NAWA Ancient Sufi Invocations & Forgotten Songs from Aleppo, and Wasl Album and book. NAWA is a group interested in reviving and disseminating muwashshahat and quddud of both kind: religious and ghazali, and documenting chapters from the inherited dhkir in Syria.
He is also founder-director of “Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture” established in 2016.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IbrahimMuslimani?app=desktop
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ibrahim-muslimani
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ibrahim_muslimani?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ibrahim.Muslimani.fans?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Concert, Oxford University, 16 Jan 2023
Rehearsals in Oxfordshire (Jan 2023)
Roundtable discussions in Kings College London and Ertegun House, Oxford University (13 & 16 Jan 2023)
🇬🇧
The collaboration, funded through the British Council Creative Collaborations scheme, explores the connections and differences between Aleppo and Cairo's 20th century muwashshahat tradition. It involves Ibrahim Muslimani of the Nawa Band (Gaziantep, Turkey) and Oxford Maqam, the UK's most prominent Arab Classical Music ensemble. Muslimani is a vocalist and expert in the Aleppo tradition, percussionist, author, broadcaster and teacher, and the subject of Canadian director Amar Chebib's well-known documentary Wajd: Songs of Separation. The project advances the creativity, cultural dialogue and academic research of musical ensembles in Turkey and the United Kingdom by examining cultural connections in Ottoman-Arab worlds across history and geography. The collaborations involved presentations, performances and workshops in London and Oxford.
Kings College London, 13.1.23
Panel, devoted to the Ottoman-Arab world contexts and frameworks of the collaboration, chaired by Merel Dubois Van Slageren (KCL) with Merel Dubois Van Slageren (KCL), Dr. Marlé Hammond (SOAS), Ibrahim Muslimani (Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture), Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), Prof. Martin Stokes (KCL).
Concert, Ibrahim Muslimani and Oxford Maqam: “Ottoman-Arabic Classical Music, from Aleppo to Cairo”, KCL
Oxford University, 16.1.23
Panel, devoted to the Ottoman-Arab world contexts and frameworks of the collaboration, chaired by Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), with Tarık Beshir (Oxford Maqam), İbrahim Muslimani (Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture), Dr. Bashir Saade (Stirling University), Prof. Martin Stokes (KCL). Ertegün House, Oxford University
Concert, “Ottoman-Arabic Classical Music, from Aleppo to Cairo”, St. Antony’s College/Middle East Centre, Oxford University
This project is supported by British Council (Turkey), UKRI "Beyond 1932", Nefes Foundation for Arts & Culture, King's College London, the Middle East Centre (St Antony's College), Ertegün House, and Oxford Maqam.
🇹🇷
British Council Yaratıcı İşbirlikleri programı tarafından desteklenen bu proje, Halep ve Kahire 20. yüzyıl muvaşşah geleneği arasındaki bağlantıları ve farklılıkları araştırmaktadır. Proje, Nawa topluluğundan Ibrahim Muslimani (Gaziantep, Türkiye) ve Ingiltere’nin en önde gelen Arap Klasik Müziği topluluğu Oxford Maqam’ı içermektedir. Muslimani, Halep geleneği vokalisti ve uzmanı, perküsyon sanatçısı, yazar, yayıncı ve öğretmendir. Ayrıca Kanadalı yönetmen Amar Chebib'in ünlü Wajd: Songs of Separation belgeselinede konu olmaktadır. Proje, tarih ve coğrafya boyunca Osmanlı-Arap dünyasındaki kültürel bağlantıları inceleyerek Türkiye ve Birleşik Krallık'taki müzik topluluklarının yaratıcılığını, kültürel diyalogunu ve akademik araştırmalarını geliştirmektedir.
16 Ocak 2023
Panel, Merel Dubois Van Slageren (KCL), Dr. Marlé Hammond (SOAS), Ibrahim Muslimani (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği), Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), Prof. Dr. Martin Stokes (KCL). Kings College London Strand Kampüsü, Londra Üniversitesi
Konser, İbrahim Muslimani ve Oxford Maqam: “Osmanlı-Arap Klasik Musikisi, Halep'ten Kahire'ye”. (Kings College London)
16 Ocak 2023
Panel, Tarık Beşir (Oxford Maqam), İbrahim Muslimani (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği), Dr. Bashir Saade (Stirling Üniversitesi), Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), Prof. Dr. Martin Stokes (KCL), Ertegün House, Oxford Üniversitesi
Konser, “Osmanlı ve Arap Klasik Musikisi, Halep'ten Kahire'ye”, St. Antony's College/Middle East Centre, Oxford Üniversitesi
British Council (Türkiye), King's College London Music Department, Ertegün House ve St. Antony's College, Oxford, IUKRI “Beyond 1932”, Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği ve Oxford Maqam'a teşekkür ederiz.
#Yaratıcıİşbirlikleri
#CreativeCollaborations
The collaboration, funded through the British Council Creative Collaborations scheme, explores the connections and differences between Aleppo and Cairo's 20th century muwashshahat tradition. It involves Ibrahim Muslimani of the Nawa Band (Gaziantep, Turkey) and Oxford Maqam, the UK's most prominent Arab Classical Music ensemble. Muslimani is a vocalist and expert in the Aleppo tradition, percussionist, author, broadcaster and teacher, and the subject of Canadian director Amar Chebib's well-known documentary Wajd: Songs of Separation. The project advances the creativity, cultural dialogue and academic research of musical ensembles in Turkey and the United Kingdom by examining cultural connections in Ottoman-Arab worlds across history and geography. The collaborations involved presentations, performances and workshops in London and Oxford.
Kings College London, 13.1.23
Panel, devoted to the Ottoman-Arab world contexts and frameworks of the collaboration, chaired by Merel Dubois Van Slageren (KCL) with Merel Dubois Van Slageren (KCL), Dr. Marlé Hammond (SOAS), Ibrahim Muslimani (Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture), Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), Prof. Martin Stokes (KCL).
Concert, Ibrahim Muslimani and Oxford Maqam: “Ottoman-Arabic Classical Music, from Aleppo to Cairo”, KCL
Oxford University, 16.1.23
Panel, devoted to the Ottoman-Arab world contexts and frameworks of the collaboration, chaired by Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), with Tarık Beshir (Oxford Maqam), İbrahim Muslimani (Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture), Dr. Bashir Saade (Stirling University), Prof. Martin Stokes (KCL). Ertegün House, Oxford University
Concert, “Ottoman-Arabic Classical Music, from Aleppo to Cairo”, St. Antony’s College/Middle East Centre, Oxford University
This project is supported by British Council (Turkey), UKRI "Beyond 1932", Nefes Foundation for Arts & Culture, King's College London, the Middle East Centre (St Antony's College), Ertegün House, and Oxford Maqam.
🇹🇷
British Council Yaratıcı İşbirlikleri programı tarafından desteklenen bu proje, Halep ve Kahire 20. yüzyıl muvaşşah geleneği arasındaki bağlantıları ve farklılıkları araştırmaktadır. Proje, Nawa topluluğundan Ibrahim Muslimani (Gaziantep, Türkiye) ve Ingiltere’nin en önde gelen Arap Klasik Müziği topluluğu Oxford Maqam’ı içermektedir. Muslimani, Halep geleneği vokalisti ve uzmanı, perküsyon sanatçısı, yazar, yayıncı ve öğretmendir. Ayrıca Kanadalı yönetmen Amar Chebib'in ünlü Wajd: Songs of Separation belgeselinede konu olmaktadır. Proje, tarih ve coğrafya boyunca Osmanlı-Arap dünyasındaki kültürel bağlantıları inceleyerek Türkiye ve Birleşik Krallık'taki müzik topluluklarının yaratıcılığını, kültürel diyalogunu ve akademik araştırmalarını geliştirmektedir.
16 Ocak 2023
Panel, Merel Dubois Van Slageren (KCL), Dr. Marlé Hammond (SOAS), Ibrahim Muslimani (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği), Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), Prof. Dr. Martin Stokes (KCL). Kings College London Strand Kampüsü, Londra Üniversitesi
Konser, İbrahim Muslimani ve Oxford Maqam: “Osmanlı-Arap Klasik Musikisi, Halep'ten Kahire'ye”. (Kings College London)
16 Ocak 2023
Panel, Tarık Beşir (Oxford Maqam), İbrahim Muslimani (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği), Dr. Bashir Saade (Stirling Üniversitesi), Yara Salahiddeen (Ertegün Scholar, Oxford), Prof. Dr. Martin Stokes (KCL), Ertegün House, Oxford Üniversitesi
Konser, “Osmanlı ve Arap Klasik Musikisi, Halep'ten Kahire'ye”, St. Antony's College/Middle East Centre, Oxford Üniversitesi
British Council (Türkiye), King's College London Music Department, Ertegün House ve St. Antony's College, Oxford, IUKRI “Beyond 1932”, Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği ve Oxford Maqam'a teşekkür ederiz.
#Yaratıcıİşbirlikleri
#CreativeCollaborations
الموسيقى الكلاسيكية العثمانية -العربية من حلب إلى القاهرة
يستكشف التعاون، الممول من خلال برنامج التعاون الإبداعي للمجلس الثقافي البريطاني، الروابط والاختلافات حول تقاليد الموشحات بين حلب والقاهرة في القرن
العشرين. يشارك فيه إبراهيم مسلماني من فرقة نوا (غازي عنتاب، تركيا) و"أكسفورد مقام" وهي أبرز فرقة موسيقية عربية كلاسيكية في المملكة المتحدة. مسلماني هو مؤدي وخبير في تقاليد حلب، وعازف الإيقاع، والمؤلف، والمذيع، والمعلم، وموضوع الفيلم الوثائقي "وجد: أغاني الفراق" للمخرج الكندي عمار شبيب. يعمل المشروع على تطوير الإبداع والحوار الثقافي والبحث الأكاديمي للفرق الموسيقية في تركيا والمملكة المتحدة من خلال فحص الروابط الثقافية في العالمين العثماني العربي عبر التاريخ والجغرافيا. سيشمل التعاون عروضاً تقديمية وعروضًا وورش عمل في لندن وأكسفورد
يستكشف التعاون، الممول من خلال برنامج التعاون الإبداعي للمجلس الثقافي البريطاني، الروابط والاختلافات حول تقاليد الموشحات بين حلب والقاهرة في القرن
العشرين. يشارك فيه إبراهيم مسلماني من فرقة نوا (غازي عنتاب، تركيا) و"أكسفورد مقام" وهي أبرز فرقة موسيقية عربية كلاسيكية في المملكة المتحدة. مسلماني هو مؤدي وخبير في تقاليد حلب، وعازف الإيقاع، والمؤلف، والمذيع، والمعلم، وموضوع الفيلم الوثائقي "وجد: أغاني الفراق" للمخرج الكندي عمار شبيب. يعمل المشروع على تطوير الإبداع والحوار الثقافي والبحث الأكاديمي للفرق الموسيقية في تركيا والمملكة المتحدة من خلال فحص الروابط الثقافية في العالمين العثماني العربي عبر التاريخ والجغرافيا. سيشمل التعاون عروضاً تقديمية وعروضًا وورش عمل في لندن وأكسفورد
Master musicians including Sheikh Omar Al Batsh, Sheikh Ali Darwish, Sami Al Shawwa, and others (Aleppo, Syria)
Follow our partners:
British Council (Turkey)
Website: http://www.britishcouncil.org.tr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilTurkey/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turkeybritishcouncil/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trBritish
Nefes:
Website: https://nefes.org.tr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nefes.Arts.Culture/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nefes.arts.culture?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
More: https://linktr.ee/nefes.org.tr
Nawa:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nawaband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nawaband
More: https://linktr.ee/NawaBand
British Council (Turkey)
Website: http://www.britishcouncil.org.tr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilTurkey/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turkeybritishcouncil/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trBritish
Nefes:
Website: https://nefes.org.tr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nefes.Arts.Culture/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nefes.arts.culture?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
More: https://linktr.ee/nefes.org.tr
Nawa:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nawaband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nawaband
More: https://linktr.ee/NawaBand