Hewar
Encyclopedia
Hewar is a jazz fusion
band from Syria
, formed in 2003.
), a Oud
soloist (Issam Rafea), a lyric Soprano
(Dima Orsho),Khaled Omran ( Bass), Simon Mreach ( Drums), Badi Rafea ( Percussion) all of whom are alumni of the Syrian National Orchestra. But they don't all live in Syria, which enhances complements the band's cultural medley of influences and musical tastes.
Hewar was unveiled with a concert that took place in the historical setting of al-Zaytuna church in Damascus
' old city in September 2003. The venue was packed to maximum capacity with 1,500 people, all of whom came through word-of-mouth to witness this event. The concert was such an immense success, and created a positive buzz for the band, leading to a follow-up and equally successful concert in the American University of Beirut
(AUB) in January 2004, under the auspices of the Syrian Club.
In February and March 2004, Hewar—sponsored by the Syrian Embassy in Washington, and several NGOs promoting cultural understanding, mainly the Middle East Institute—toured 10 US states, performing in packed venues as prestigious as MIT and the Kennedy Center to standing ovations. They later played one concert in Cologne
, Germany
in late March 2004 to a receptive and eminent audience, receiving great acclaim and kudos, and in London
. They also performed in Opéra Bastille
in Paris
, and in Tokyo
's Shinjuku PIT Inn.
Hewar released their first album on 12-1-2005 in Beirut
and on 16-1-2005 in Damascus , the launch of the album was very successful, and the album produced by La CD-Theque .
In collaboration with the three distinguished musician guests, Manfred Leuchter, Steffen Thormahlen and Antoine Puetz, Hewar performed two concerts in Damascus in July 2006 and one concerts in Marseilles in Oct 2006. This collaboration brought in Hewar's second album 9 Days of Solitude in July 2007.
, scat
, opera
and classical music
; which makes it a unique venture. The band, building on the individual talents of each of its members, juxtaposes and meshes these musical styles seeks to create a truly one-of-a-kind genre-breaking music.
Musician-personality—rather than instruments—driven approach, justifies Hewar's ostensibly strange and eclectic line-up comprising Oud, Clarinet
, and Soprano, emphasizes the ability of music to express a wide scope of human emotions (joy, sorrow, fear, hope, and solitude) in a universal, easily-accessible vernacular. This makes for a distinctively unique sound, a sound that allows for an open-ended dialogue between Arabic music, jazz and western classical melodies—a conscious decision by the band's members.
Because today's world is growing ever closer, and cultural barriers and misperceptions should be coming down at an ever-increasing pace. In these iconoclastic times, communication and understanding constitute an indispensable element in the process of human interaction. The most elevated form of interaction is the Hewar (dialogue) between two—or more—seemingly disparate and unique points of departure, with the goal of reaching a common human ground.
It is in light of this simple philosophy of the indispensability of Hewar, that the ensemble Hewar (Dialogue, in English) was conceived. Hewar was formed by a group of young and established Syrian musicians imbued with a sense of an urgent cultural mission, creative motivation, and openness.
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
band from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, formed in 2003.
History
Hewar is an all-Syrian lineup of talent: The band is made up of a clarinetist (Kinan AzmehKinan Azmeh
-Life:Born in Damascus, Syria in 1976, Azmeh began to play the clarinet after taking lessons in the violin before switching to the clarinet. Kinan studied at the Arab conservatory of music in Damascus, the Juilliard School in New York and the University of Damascus .Kinan has appeared worldwide...
), a 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...
soloist (Issam Rafea), a lyric Soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
(Dima Orsho),Khaled Omran ( Bass), Simon Mreach ( Drums), Badi Rafea ( Percussion) all of whom are alumni of the Syrian National Orchestra. But they don't all live in Syria, which enhances complements the band's cultural medley of influences and musical tastes.
Hewar was unveiled with a concert that took place in the historical setting of al-Zaytuna church in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
' old city in September 2003. The venue was packed to maximum capacity with 1,500 people, all of whom came through word-of-mouth to witness this event. The concert was such an immense success, and created a positive buzz for the band, leading to a follow-up and equally successful concert in the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
(AUB) in January 2004, under the auspices of the Syrian Club.
In February and March 2004, Hewar—sponsored by the Syrian Embassy in Washington, and several NGOs promoting cultural understanding, mainly the Middle East Institute—toured 10 US states, performing in packed venues as prestigious as MIT and the Kennedy Center to standing ovations. They later played one concert in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, 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...
in late March 2004 to a receptive and eminent audience, receiving great acclaim and kudos, and 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...
. They also performed in Opéra Bastille
Opéra Bastille
L'Opéra Bastille ' is a modern opera house in Paris, France. It is the home base of the Opéra national de Paris and was designed to replace the Palais Garnier, which is nowadays mainly used for ballet performances....
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...
, and in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Shinjuku PIT Inn.
Hewar released their first album on 12-1-2005 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 on 16-1-2005 in Damascus , the launch of the album was very successful, and the album produced by La CD-Theque .
In collaboration with the three distinguished musician guests, Manfred Leuchter, Steffen Thormahlen and Antoine Puetz, Hewar performed two concerts in Damascus in July 2006 and one concerts in Marseilles in Oct 2006. This collaboration brought in Hewar's second album 9 Days of Solitude in July 2007.
Music
Hewar's music brings together a diverse musical influences, and draws from many musical traditions—namely Arabic, jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, scat
Scat
-Education:* School and College Ability Test* Somerset College of Arts and Technology, a community college in Somerset, England* Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology, a community college in Shropshire, England-Games:* Thirty-one , a card game...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
; which makes it a unique venture. The band, building on the individual talents of each of its members, juxtaposes and meshes these musical styles seeks to create a truly one-of-a-kind genre-breaking music.
Musician-personality—rather than instruments—driven approach, justifies Hewar's ostensibly strange and eclectic line-up comprising Oud, Clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, and Soprano, emphasizes the ability of music to express a wide scope of human emotions (joy, sorrow, fear, hope, and solitude) in a universal, easily-accessible vernacular. This makes for a distinctively unique sound, a sound that allows for an open-ended dialogue between Arabic music, jazz and western classical melodies—a conscious decision by the band's members.
Mission
Accourding to the band's website they seek to transcend the barriers of cultural disparities and misconceptions, and establish a civilized communication which builds on what brings humans closer together rather than separates them. This is achieved through a unique musical exchange between different musical personalities (using each individual instrument as the only means of this musical communication), reflecting an approach that is as musically-based as much as it has social and political references and subtexts.Because today's world is growing ever closer, and cultural barriers and misperceptions should be coming down at an ever-increasing pace. In these iconoclastic times, communication and understanding constitute an indispensable element in the process of human interaction. The most elevated form of interaction is the Hewar (dialogue) between two—or more—seemingly disparate and unique points of departure, with the goal of reaching a common human ground.
It is in light of this simple philosophy of the indispensability of Hewar, that the ensemble Hewar (Dialogue, in English) was conceived. Hewar was formed by a group of young and established Syrian musicians imbued with a sense of an urgent cultural mission, creative motivation, and openness.
Discography
- HewarHewar (album)Hewar is the first album by the Syrian jazz fusion band Hewar. Released in Damascus and Beirut in January 2005.-Track listing:#Departure#Evening#Project#Loquacity#Dance#Prayer #Rituals#Ink- References :**...
(2005). - 9 Days of Solitude: The Damascus Session9 Days of Solitude: The Damascus Session9 Days of Solitude: The Damascus Session is the second album by the Syrian jazz fusion band Hewar. Released in Damascus in July 2007.-Track listing:#Wedding#Zar#4 Days Later#Arabesque#Airports#Lovo on 139th street in D#Monterosa#Neyanana...
(2007).