ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two Kurdish musicians were hosted by one of Europe's most esteemed musical institutions, the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, over the weekend, introducing authentic Kurdish melodies to the classical stage.
Alan Arif, a distinguished violinist from the Kurdistan Region, and Sherko Kaniwar, a talented daf player from the predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey, performed with the Belgian orchestra in Brussels on Saturday.
The unique collaboration featured a performance of a Sama'i composition - a hallmark of Middle Eastern music traditions - composed by Qutaiba al-Nuaimi, an Iraqi musician of Kurdish maternal heritage.
The piece is set in a 10/8 rhythm. Nuaimi told Rudaw that its success lies in its ability to present the rich and diverse Kurdish musical heritage.
“Europeans have a great desire to get to know our music. We have presented it in a scientific and orchestral manner, in a way that a European individual can play it and listen to it in our style, while preserving its traditional identity,” Nuaimi said.
“Our heritage is also rich, especially the Kurdish heritage; it is full of rhythm and diversity."
Arif curated the piece, drawing inspiration from various regions of Kurdistan.
“It is not easy to capture all the colors of Kurdish music in just seven to eight minutes,” he told Rudaw, adding, “This is why I named the piece ‘The Kurdish Sama’i'.”
The event drew a large crowd with most attendees being locals from Belgium. Members of the Kurdish diaspora also attended. Goran Hawrami traveled all the way from Ireland to attend the event.
“I was sitting in the front row and no one around me was Kurdish. They were either natives of this country [Belgium] or our Persian brothers,” he told Rudaw, adding, “When Mr. Alan [Arif] played the Kurdish piece, they cheered louder than I did and were filled with joy.”
Kurds “are not any less than other nations in orchestra; we can play right alongside them,” Hawrami stressed.
The performance saw orchestra members from Belgium, France and the Netherlands unite with the two Kurdish soloists, successfully delivering Kurdish musical pieces to the international audience.
