Kuwaiti artist declares mission to play for peace

Fares Abdullah
For Al-Shorfa.com
2009-10-26

Kuwaiti oud player Fawzi al-Lingawi plays at a UNESCO concert in Geneva.

KUWAIT — He wants to spread a message of peace, and has made it his mission to do so. He dreams of peace and has played all over the world to promote it.

Fawzi al-Lingawi, the inventive oud player from Kuwait who has been recognised by UNESCO as one of the most prominent musicians in the world, was invited to play at the concerts it sponsors to spread the culture of peace. Al-Lingawi recently became the first Kuwaiti artist to perform at a UNESCO concert for peace at Victoria Hall, in Geneva, the city of peace.

In an extensive interview, Al-Lingawi spoke about that event’s importance and other aspects of his life and work.

Al-Lingawi believes in peace as a goal, a culture and a foundation upon which to build communities. He explains that he has grown accustomed to meeting musicians from around the world and asserts that when they play together, they all speak one language.

Al-Lingawi’s success extends far beyond his performance in the UNESCO concert. He teaches at the Higher Institute of Musical Arts in Kuwait and has won several awards, including the Gulf Cooperation Council’s highest honour for culture, in 2006. He has also won other Arab and international awards and has been offered an opportunity to teach music at a university in Paris.

He notes that he has already performed in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the United States, France, Spain, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan, both as a soloist and with other Arab artists, including Muhammad Abdu, Nawal al-Kuwaitia, Abdullah al-Rowaished, Reda al-Abdullah and Nabil Shuail.

Al-Lingawi revealed during the interview that he had played the violin with the UNESCO symphonic orchestra since 2004, as its only Arab musician. He also said he had composed a number of songs, some instrumental and others with lyrics, which were performed by Arab singers.

In concluding his interview, Al-Lingawi said he looked forward to passing on his ideas, knowledge and culture to young people, expressing the opinion that it is important that these concepts be preserved in Kuwait. He also mentioned plans to establish a music, poetry and theatre centre and a Kuwaiti heritage museum in Washington, D.C, which would introduce a number of Americans to Kuwaiti culture.

Bookmarking

Please comment on this article so that we can improve the experience of viewing this website.