Marcel Khalife
Encyclopedia
Marcel Khalife is a Lebanese
composer, singer and oud
player. From 1970 to 1975, he taught at the conservatory in Beirut
. In 1976, he created Al Mayadeen Ensemble and became famous all over the world for songs like Ummi (My Mother), Rita w'al-Bunduqiya (Rita and the Rifle) and Jawaz al-Safar (Passport), based on Mahmoud Darwish
's poetry.
In 1999 he was granted the Palestine Award for Music. In turn, he contributed the financial portion of the award to the National Conservatory of Music at Birzeit University
in Palestine
. In 2005, Khalife was named UNESCO Artist for Peace
. He lives in Paris
, France
.
One son, Bachar Khalife, is also an accomplished oud
player and percussionist; the other, Rami Khalife
http://www.ramikhalife.com/, is a virtuoso pianist who graduated from the Juilliard School
.
. His grandfather was a flutist, and a fisherman. He lived among fishermen, peasants and Gypsies, and confesses a double influence:
His first lessons in music was with a retired military man, a teacher in his village, Hanna Karam, who advised the parents of the young boy to let him continue learning music. His mother died of cancer when he was 16 years old. He studied the oud
at the National Academy of Music in Beirut
and contributed to the expansion of the possibilities of the oud
.
From 1970 to 1975, he taught at the conservatory in Beirut
and other local institutions and toured the Middle East
, North Africa
, Europe
and the United States
giving solo performances on the oud
. In Beirut, he discovered the situation of the Palestinians:
In 1972, Marcel Khalife created a musical group in his native village with the goal of reviving its musical heritage and Arabic choral singing. The first performances took place in Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war
in 1975. During the war, he risked his life in bombed out concert halls.
In 1983, Paredon Records, now Smithsonian Folkways
, released Promises of the Storm, a small collection of protest songs and political ballads.
. Mainly, Marcel Khalife uses modern Arab poetry (like Mahmoud Darwish
) and muwashahat
(music of Al-Andalus
). He composes and sings the poetry of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish
, songs on nationalism
and revolution
.
1976 saw the birth of Al Mayadeen Ensemble. Al-mayadeen is the plural of maydan, which can mean both battlefield and village square, the site of festive events, weddings, song and dance. Enriched by the previous ensemble’s musical experiences, Al Mayadeen’s notoriety went well beyond Lebanon
, performing the songs Umi (My Mother), Rita w'al-Bundaqiya (Rita and the Rifle) and Jawaz al-Safr (Passport), based on Darwish's poetry. The band performed in Arab countries, Europe
, the United States
, Canada
, South America
, Australia
, and Japan
.
Marcel Khalife has been invited several times to festivals of international fame such as: Baalbeck, Beit Eddine (Lebanon
),Antakya(Antakia), Carthage, El Hammamat (Tunisia
), Timgad (Algeria
), Jarash (Jordan
), Arles (France
), Krems, Linz (Austria
), Bremen (Germany
), ReOrient (Sweden
), Pavia (Italy
), World Music Festival in San Francisco, New York
, Cleveland (U.S.
). He performed in many prestigious halls at the Place des Arts in Montreal
, Symphony Space and Merkin Concert in New York
, the "Kennedy Center" in Washington, D.C.
, Berklee Theatre and New England Conservatory in Boston
, Royal Festival Hall
, and Queen Elizabeth Hall
in London
,UNESCO Palace of Beirut
, Cairo Opera House
(Egypt).
of Return, Chants of the East, as well as the Concerto
Al-Andalus
, Suite for Oud and Orchestra, as well as a piece called Sharq
. In Arabic, the word 'sharq' means 'East' or 'Orient
', and the piece is a musical case-history or a musical memoir of the Arabic musical legacy that was written by Khalife for 100 choral singers and 100 musicians. Additional recent works include Mouda'aba (Caress), Diwan Al Oud, Jadal Oud
duo
, Oud
Quartet
, Al Samaa in the traditional Arabic forms and Taqasim, a duo for oud
and double bass
. Marcel Khalife’s compositions has been performed by several orchestras, notably the Kiev
Symphony
Orchestra
, the Academy of Boulogne Billancourt Orchestra, The San Francisco Chamber
Orchestra
, the Orchestra of the city of Tunis
, the Qatar
Philarmonic Orchestra
and the Absolute Ensemble. Lorin Maazel
recently conducted Khalife's orchestral works.
by the state-controlled radio and TV stations. He might have angered the Tunisian authorities during a concert in Carthage
in August when he dedicated one of his songs to Arabs imprisoned in Israel
and Arab countries. He also expressed support for the rights of political activists who went on hunger strike
before and during the World Summit on Information Society in Tunis
in November 2005.
In July 2009, Khalife returned to Tunisia to perform on the stage of the Roman amphitheatre
to a full house, as part of the 45th International Festival of Carthage. Speaking to the audience, Khalifa opened the concert by stating:
Khalife later dedicated a song to the "revolutionary leader Che Guevara
".
, O Father, written by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish
. Khalife was accused of insulting religious values by including a two-line verse from a chapter of the Qur'an
.
Khalifa recorded the song in his 1995 album "The Arabic Coffee Pot" that was based on a 1992 poem of the prominent Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish. The poem adapted this verse from the story of Yousef (Joseph
) in the Qur'an
: "O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowing before me in homage." It tells the story of how Joseph's brothers were jealous of him because he was handsome and kind, his brothers don't like him. The story reflected the suffering of the Palestinian people.
In 1999, the case was brought to a court by the newly appointed investigating judge, Abdel Rahman Shihab, who reproached Marcel of "insulting religious values by using a verse from the chapter of Joseph from the Qur'an
in a song." Marcel faced six months to three years imprisonment for publicly insulting religion
(article 474 of the Lebanon's penal code, six months to three years in prison
) and blasphemy
(article 473 of the penal code, one month to one year in prison
).
Senior Sunni Muslim clerics in Lebanon
ruled that singing verses from the Qur'an was "absolutely banned and not accepted." The highest Sunni Muslim religious authority in Lebanon, Grand Mufti Sheikh Muhamed Rashid Qabbani, has maintained repeatedly that Khalifa is guilty of blasphemy for singing a verse from the Qur'an
. Sheikh Qabbani said : "There is a limit to freedom of expression. One limit is that it should not infringe on people's religious beliefs."
Demonstrations of solidarity came from many sides, intellectuals, human rights
organisations and ordinary people. A meeting was held in Beirut
where 2000 people sang altogether the song in trial. Marcel Khalife even received the support of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a Shi'ite theologist. The famous Lebanese writer Elias Khoury
harshly criticized the trial, as did Mahmoud Darwish
, who said :
Ghada Abu Karrum, the judge, rejected the demand of the prosecutor, and found him innocent of the charge of degrading Islam
. As stated in the judgment :
His further writing will be Jadal Oud Duo, which is:
He also wrote Samaa.
, Oussama Mohammed, Sophi Sayhf Eddin and Sami Zikra. His music is also featured in the documentary Occupied Minds produced by Jamal Dajani
and David Michaelis, As well his music featured in the documentary film Sons of Eilaboun by Hisham Zreiq
.
In 2002, European television networks broadcast a documentary on Marcel Khalife. The documentary, entitled Voyageur, presents 33 selections from Khalifé’s repertoire, which ranges from compositions for solo oud and vocal settings of Arabic poetry to orchestral compositions, films cores and ballets.
Le Luth Sacrilège is another documentary, directed by Pierre Dupouey, produced by Ognon Pictures and Mezzo. The documentary tells the story of the second trial Marcel Khalife faced in 1998 for his song Ana Yussef (I am Joseph).
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
composer, singer and oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
player. From 1970 to 1975, he taught at the conservatory in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. In 1976, he created Al Mayadeen Ensemble and became famous all over the world for songs like Ummi (My Mother), Rita w'al-Bunduqiya (Rita and the Rifle) and Jawaz al-Safar (Passport), based on Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
's poetry.
In 1999 he was granted the Palestine Award for Music. In turn, he contributed the financial portion of the award to the National Conservatory of Music at Birzeit University
Birzeit University
Birzeit University is a university located in Birzeit near Ramallah, Palestinian territories. BZU is among the foremost tertiary educational institutes in the Palestinian territories and has played a significant role in the Palestinian political dialogue.- History :The institution was originally...
in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. In 2005, Khalife was named UNESCO Artist for Peace
UNESCO Artist for Peace
UNESCO Artists for Peace are international celebrity advocates for the United Nations agency UNESCO. This category of advocate is intended to heighten public awareness in addition to the categories UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, UNESCO Special Envoy and UNESCO Champion for Sport...
. He lives in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
One son, Bachar Khalife, is also an accomplished oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
player and percussionist; the other, Rami Khalife
Rami Khalifé
Rami Khalifé is a Lebanese composer, pianist and artist. A musical shape-shifter, Khalifé’s body of work is as eclectic as it is bold.He is the son of legendary Oud player, composer and UNESCO Artist for Peace, Marcel Khalife...
http://www.ramikhalife.com/, is a virtuoso pianist who graduated from the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
.
Biography
Marcel Khalife was born in 1950 in Amchit, a small coastal village north of BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. His grandfather was a flutist, and a fisherman. He lived among fishermen, peasants and Gypsies, and confesses a double influence:
Then I used to go to church and listen to Christian music, and also to Islamic recitations of the Qur'an. In Lebanon we have a marriage of Islamic and Christian culture. That really helped to form my musical awareness.
His first lessons in music was with a retired military man, a teacher in his village, Hanna Karam, who advised the parents of the young boy to let him continue learning music. His mother died of cancer when he was 16 years old. He studied the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
at the National Academy of Music in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and contributed to the expansion of the possibilities of the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
.
From 1970 to 1975, he taught at the conservatory in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and other local institutions and toured the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
giving solo performances on the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
. In Beirut, he discovered the situation of the Palestinians:
When I was at the conservatory in Beirut, I used to pass by the Palestinian refugee camps. I wondered why these people were living in these houses made of corrugated metal, and what the circumstances were which found them living in this kind of poverty. Some Lebanese families used to live there, too, mind you. I decided I wanted to learn more about the Palestinians, and learn how they lost their lands, lost their homes and their rights in Palestine. I became a supporter because their cause was a just one. Until now, I never hesitate to do anything at all in order to show my support for this great cause.
In 1972, Marcel Khalife created a musical group in his native village with the goal of reviving its musical heritage and Arabic choral singing. The first performances took place in Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
in 1975. During the war, he risked his life in bombed out concert halls.
Since I was born, I've felt I had a rebel's soul within me. I rejected things that might be inherited, but that were wrong.
I connected my artistic project with the fatherland, with life, society, and the people,
My music is for the service of humanity, and is intended to present a serious and sincere work for those tormented in this destructive war. My music was a sort of balm for those wounds.
In 1983, Paredon Records, now Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways...
, released Promises of the Storm, a small collection of protest songs and political ballads.
Al Mayadeen ensemble
His work combines traditional Arabic music with Western elements like the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Mainly, Marcel Khalife uses modern Arab poetry (like Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
) and muwashahat
Muwashshah
Muwashshah or muwaššaḥ can mean:...
(music of Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
). He composes and sings the poetry of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
, songs on nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
.
1976 saw the birth of Al Mayadeen Ensemble. Al-mayadeen is the plural of maydan, which can mean both battlefield and village square, the site of festive events, weddings, song and dance. Enriched by the previous ensemble’s musical experiences, Al Mayadeen’s notoriety went well beyond Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, performing the songs Umi (My Mother), Rita w'al-Bundaqiya (Rita and the Rifle) and Jawaz al-Safr (Passport), based on Darwish's poetry. The band performed in Arab countries, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Marcel Khalife has been invited several times to festivals of international fame such as: Baalbeck, Beit Eddine (Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
),Antakya(Antakia), Carthage, El Hammamat (Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
), Timgad (Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
), Jarash (Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
), Arles (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), Krems, Linz (Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
), Bremen (Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), ReOrient (Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
), Pavia (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), World Music Festival in San Francisco, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Cleveland (U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). He performed in many prestigious halls at the Place des Arts in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Symphony Space and Merkin Concert in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the "Kennedy Center" in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Berklee Theatre and New England Conservatory in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, and Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
,UNESCO Palace of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Cairo Opera House
Cairo Opera House
The Cairo Opera House , part of Cairo's National Cultural Center, is the main performing arts venue in the Egyptian capital. Home to most of Egypt's finest musical groups, it is located on the southern portion of Gezira Island in the Nile River, in the Zamalek district west of and near downtown...
(Egypt).
Instrumental works
His recent works consist mainly of instrumental works like Arabian Concerto, The SymphonySymphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
of Return, Chants of the East, as well as the Concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, Suite for Oud and Orchestra, as well as a piece called Sharq
Sharq
Sharq or Sharqi is short form of Mashriq meaning East. It may refer to:* Mashriq, , referring to the region of Arabic-speaking countries to the east of Egypt...
. In Arabic, the word 'sharq' means 'East' or 'Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
', and the piece is a musical case-history or a musical memoir of the Arabic musical legacy that was written by Khalife for 100 choral singers and 100 musicians. Additional recent works include Mouda'aba (Caress), Diwan Al Oud, Jadal Oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, Oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
Quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
, Al Samaa in the traditional Arabic forms and Taqasim, a duo for oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. Marcel Khalife’s compositions has been performed by several orchestras, notably the Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
Symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, the Academy of Boulogne Billancourt Orchestra, The San Francisco Chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, the Orchestra of the city of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, the Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
Philarmonic Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and the Absolute Ensemble. Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
recently conducted Khalife's orchestral works.
I realize myself more in music than in singing. This tendency is evident in several of my works, the last of which was the 'Oud Concerto,'
When the text is absent, I find myself more comfortable in composing music, although this need not suggest that I am ignoring the song, which is essential to me. Rather, my real interest lies in musical composition. This was present in early compositions like Rita, Aaras (Weddings) and Tusbahouna ala Watan (Ode to Homeland). Each of these was a musical composition and not just music written for songs. In these works, whenever the lyrics stop the music continues; and whenever I feel the lyrics are incomplete, they are completed by music.
Tunisia
In 2005, Marcel Khalife told the media that his music and songs have been banned in TunisiaTunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
by the state-controlled radio and TV stations. He might have angered the Tunisian authorities during a concert in Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
in August when he dedicated one of his songs to Arabs imprisoned in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Arab countries. He also expressed support for the rights of political activists who went on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
before and during the World Summit on Information Society in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
in November 2005.
In July 2009, Khalife returned to Tunisia to perform on the stage of the Roman amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatres are amphitheatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the Ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, chariot races, venationes and executions. About 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found across the area of the...
to a full house, as part of the 45th International Festival of Carthage. Speaking to the audience, Khalifa opened the concert by stating:
Khalife later dedicated a song to the "revolutionary leader Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
".
Ana Yousef, ya Abi case
Three times (1996, 1999 and 2003), he faced criminal prosecution for his song I am JosephYusuf
Yūsuf , , is an Islamic prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy scripture of Islam. The figure corresponds to the character from the Jewish texts and the Christian Bible as Joseph and is the Arabic variant of that name...
, O Father, written by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
. Khalife was accused of insulting religious values by including a two-line verse from a chapter of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
.
Khalifa recorded the song in his 1995 album "The Arabic Coffee Pot" that was based on a 1992 poem of the prominent Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish. The poem adapted this verse from the story of Yousef (Joseph
Yusuf
Yūsuf , , is an Islamic prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy scripture of Islam. The figure corresponds to the character from the Jewish texts and the Christian Bible as Joseph and is the Arabic variant of that name...
) in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
: "O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowing before me in homage." It tells the story of how Joseph's brothers were jealous of him because he was handsome and kind, his brothers don't like him. The story reflected the suffering of the Palestinian people.
In 1999, the case was brought to a court by the newly appointed investigating judge, Abdel Rahman Shihab, who reproached Marcel of "insulting religious values by using a verse from the chapter of Joseph from the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
in a song." Marcel faced six months to three years imprisonment for publicly insulting religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
(article 474 of the Lebanon's penal code, six months to three years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
) and blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
(article 473 of the penal code, one month to one year in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
).
Senior Sunni Muslim clerics in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
ruled that singing verses from the Qur'an was "absolutely banned and not accepted." The highest Sunni Muslim religious authority in Lebanon, Grand Mufti Sheikh Muhamed Rashid Qabbani, has maintained repeatedly that Khalifa is guilty of blasphemy for singing a verse from the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. Sheikh Qabbani said : "There is a limit to freedom of expression. One limit is that it should not infringe on people's religious beliefs."
Demonstrations of solidarity came from many sides, intellectuals, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organisations and ordinary people. A meeting was held in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
where 2000 people sang altogether the song in trial. Marcel Khalife even received the support of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a Shi'ite theologist. The famous Lebanese writer Elias Khoury
Elias Khoury (writer)
Elias Khoury is a Lebanese novelist, playwright, critic and a prominent public intellectual. He has published ten novels, which have been translated into several foreign languages, as well as several works of literary criticism. He has also written three plays...
harshly criticized the trial, as did Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
, who said :
FundamentalismFundamentalismFundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
is in the process of stifling culture and creation in the Arab world, I say it is shameful. I am ashamed. We should all be ashamed. If Marcel Khalife is found guilty, it will be an insult to culture.
Ghada Abu Karrum, the judge, rejected the demand of the prosecutor, and found him innocent of the charge of degrading Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. As stated in the judgment :
[...] Although, in the first place, it is not for this court in any circumstance to indulge in discussing whether the action of the defendant mentioned above constitutes a deviation from Islamic tradition and its prohibitions, it is necessary to note that human societies have always known - since the advent of religions until this day - forms of behavior that touched the various aspects of life while not always observing all religious rules or abiding by them without that necessarily forming a desecration of the religious sanctity of the texts from which these rules have emerged.
[...] Hence, it is clear from listening to the tape and CD at hand that the defendant has chanted the poem in gravity and composure that reveal a deep perception of the humanismHumanismHumanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
expressed in the poem ornamented with the holy phrase. [He is] committed in his expression - in form and content - to a performance that bears no infringement on the holiness of the Qur'anic text, or offense to it or its content, nor reveal any intent to incite disparagement of it explicitly or implicitly, neither by words, meaning, nor music.
Books
The composer wrote in 1982 a six-part Anthology of Studying the Oud. The purpose of his writing works is to rationalize musical traditions, an attempt to develop Arabic musical traditions.
"We Arabs have no history of our music. In my judgment, we have linked music to singing, and it is time to write down the history of music, not just song."
His further writing will be Jadal Oud Duo, which is:
"an attempt to find new methods of expressing the deeply-rooted spontaneity in Arabic music. It is at a level of artistry that departs from the past, presenting a new challenge to the composer and the musician. Jadal brings forth a unique richness in Arabic music through the search for a new law of aesthetics to replace the old. It is an openness toward an uncharted territory emanating from the familiar."
He also wrote Samaa.
Performances
- 2005.11.14: Lincoln Theatre Washington DC USA
- 2004.01.12: Kennedy Center Washington DC USA
- 2008.10.10: De Roma Borgerhout, Antwerp, Belgium
Films
Marcel Khalife has composed soundtracks for films, documentaries and fictions, produced by Maroun BaghdadiMaroun Baghdadi
Maroun Bagdadi was a Lebanese film director known for his vivid portrayal of Lebanon's civil war. Bagdadi was internationally the best-known Lebanese filmmaker of his generation...
, Oussama Mohammed, Sophi Sayhf Eddin and Sami Zikra. His music is also featured in the documentary Occupied Minds produced by Jamal Dajani
Jamal Dajani
Jamal Dajani is a Palestinian-American journalist, and an award-winning producer. He currently holds the position of Vice President for Middle East & North Africa at...
and David Michaelis, As well his music featured in the documentary film Sons of Eilaboun by Hisham Zreiq
Hisham Zreiq
Hisham Zreiq , also spelled Zrake, is an award-winning Palestinian Christian Independent film maker, poet and visual artist. He began working in computer art in 1994, and in 1996 started exhibiting his work in galleries and museums....
.
In 2002, European television networks broadcast a documentary on Marcel Khalife. The documentary, entitled Voyageur, presents 33 selections from Khalifé’s repertoire, which ranges from compositions for solo oud and vocal settings of Arabic poetry to orchestral compositions, films cores and ballets.
Le Luth Sacrilège is another documentary, directed by Pierre Dupouey, produced by Ognon Pictures and Mezzo. The documentary tells the story of the second trial Marcel Khalife faced in 1998 for his song Ana Yussef (I am Joseph).
Quotations
"Every serious and sincere musical work reflects revolution, the artist is by nature a rebel ; one must be rebellious with his writing and creative projects."
"Freedom, democracy and bread are the things we lack in our region."
English
- Marcel Khalife Discusses the New and the Old in Arabic Music in a Leading Literary Supplement: The Rationalization of Arabic Music, Translated and edited by Elie Chalala, Al Jadid magazine, Vol. 1, no. 1 (November 1995), http://www.aljadid.com/music/0101khalife.html
- Trial of famous Lebanese singer to begin: Marcel Khalifa Faces Three Years in Prison, http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/8827/?PHPSESSID=fa0c483828b20a9149317109a275dc02
- Music as a Mission: Marcel Khalife strums the heartbeat of the Arab world, http://www.cafearabica.com/issue1/stories/people/khalife3.html
- Lebanese singer banned in Tunisia, http://www.freemuse.org/sw11829.asp
- Biography, http://worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=1855
- Interview with Marcel Khalife, http://www.middleeastinfo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=2238
French
- Marcel Khalifé : Voyageur..., Pierre Dupouey, mardi 10 février 2004, http://www.aloufok.net/article.php3?id_article=949
- Marcel Khalife poursuivi en justice : entre versets et sonnets, Taïeb Chadi, http://www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma/MHinternet/Archives388/HTML.388/Culture.html
- Visages, Dalia Chams, http://hebdo.ahram.org.eg/arab/ahram/2006/5/3/visa0.htm
- Biographie, http://www.libanvision.com/artiste.htm
External links
- Official web page
- UNESCO artist for peace
- Rawafed interview/Marcel Khalife