طرب / Tarab

Still little known in the Western Hemisphere, the singer Umm Kulthum – the “Callas of Egypt” – is one of the great icons of classical Arabic music. Her sometimes 45-minute-long, profound songs and her concerts, lasting up to four hours, took on operatic dimensions in the second half of the 20th century and captivated audiences across the in the Arab world.

Today, it seems more important than ever to activate the cross-border power of this extraordinary artist and to transport people in Berlin-Neukölln into a trance-like state of shared ecstasy. This is what is known in the Arab world as “tarab”: when bodies are seized, enraptured, and enchanted by music.

With طرب / TARAB, songwriter, singer, and cellist Nesrine Belmokh and director Sjaron Minailo create a collage of diverse Umm Kulthum songs for a trio of artists on stage, accompanied by the Berlin ensemble transmusica.

WITH Mireille Bittar, Rita El-Achkar, Waed Bouhassoun

MUSICIANS ensemble transmusica – Valentin Link (bass), Bernd Oezsevim (drums), Jehad Jazbeh (solo violin), Mari Sawada / Vera Kardos (violin I), Angelika Feckl / Meike-Lu Schneider (violin II), Kundri Lu Schäfer (viola), Zoe Cartier / Lea Rahel Bader (cello), Deniz Mahir Kartal / Ceyhun Kaya (clarinette & ney), Tarek Charbel (oud)

ARRANGEMENT / COMPOSITION Nesrine Belmokh DIRECTION Sjaron Minailo SET DESIGN Shahrzad Rahmani DRAMATURGY Raphael Amahl Khouri OUTSIDE EYE Dennis Depta ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / PRODUKTION MANAGEMENT Joelina Spiess ENSEMBLE MANAGEMENT transmusica ensemble / MUSICAL CONSULTANT Sofia Surgutschowa