Fourth Oud Style Emerging in UAE?

He performed two concerts over the last weekend, one with a group of 16 fellow students and their maestro, Naseer Shamma, and one solo, for his family, friends and colleagues.

It was his graduation party, as Ali Obaid is now the first student to receive a diploma from the Bait Al Oud (the House of Oud).

“I want to go on and play Emirati music professionally, but inspired by the classical styles we studied in the House,” Ali told Khaleej Times.

It all started two years ago, when Naseer Shamma, the high-regarded oud player and composer in the Arab world today, established the Bait Al Oud here, on behalf of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

“When I first saw Ali, he was quiet, serious and talented, three essential qualities for a professional oud player,” remembers Naseer.

Ali, who started playing the oud 14 years ago, worked directly with Naseer, but also with the House’s teachers.

“The teachers were my students too, coming from Cairo’s Bait Al Oud, which is the first one I established, 11 years ago,” said Naseer.

He calls it a house, rather than a school, because everybody here is treated like a family member. The place is a beautiful new villa, opened from 10am until midnight.

“Everybody is welcomed to come and go as they like. We have a kitchen, so we cook and clean up ourselves,” explained Naseer. There is no application deadline. Any newcomer, male or female between the ages of seven and 70, may join in at any time, either the beginner or the advanced classes.

Apart from oud, the House is also offering qanoon classes and, within a few months, it will offer vocal, bazooq, saaz and nay classes too.

“We teach here all three schools of oud — Iraqi, which is based on solo interpretation; Turkish, which is part of an orchestra; and Egyptian, where it is mixed with vocal singing,” said Naseer.

“In the emirates, there was no music, only a song school, but perhaps the fourth oud style is being created now here.” What is special about the Bait Al Oud in Abu Dhabi, as opposed to the other houses in Cairo, Constantine (Algeria) and soon to open Doha, is the oud-making workshop.

“It has now become the best place to have your oud made, even better than Cairo, famous for its oud makers,” claimed Naseer.

This is all thanks to the artisan, Amr Fawzi, an Egyptian who combined his passion and knowledge of sculpture and oud playing and who has also worked directly with Naseer Shamma, an oud artisan himself.

To date, he has created 139 signature oud instruments.

Bait Al Oud has 55 students now. Each one is meant to graduate, when ready and fit to perform professionally, about two years after joining and each one will receive, as a graduation gift, a public performance.

“Anyone may come in without any skill, but I will know if they will succeed or not from one question: what is your dream?” said Naseer.

He believes that big works start with small dreams and his students are reaching for nothing less than the soul of any audience.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com