Ayman Zbib talks about the Iraqi genre

From Nohad Topalian in Beirut
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-05-26

[File] Ayman Zbib pledges to continue singing in the Iraqi dialect.

The relationship between Lebanese artist Ayman Zbib and the Iraqi genre is strong -- singing in the Iraqi dialect was his passport to success in the "Studio El Fan" program in 2002.

The Iraqi style continues to manifest itself strongly in his concerts and works. Most recently, he sang in the Iraqi dialect in "Analia," a mawal that appears in his album "Halaft b'omri."

"Halaft b'omri," which is his second after "Galouli Ansak" in 2006, contains 12 songs in the Lebanese, Egyptian, Iraqi, and Moroccan dialects. In this album, he collaborated with a group of poets and composers. However, this albums marks the first time Ayman ventures into composition. The melody for his song "La Ya Habibi" is his own work.

Other songs include "Sammaytak Mama," a Lebanese folk song with a modern twist, "Bhibak Wallah," a Greek melody, and "Mahboubi," a Moroccan folk song.

During a recent press conference, Ayman said that an artist should perform all dialects and types of Arabic music. He said that he would continue to sing popular music, especially the Iraqi dialect and genre.

"The beginning of my journey was with the Iraqi dialect. In the 'Studio El Fan' program, I sang songs of Nazem El-Ghazali and Saadoun Jaber. And in my first album I sang 'Ansak' in the Iraqi dialect, as well as 'Analia' in my new album," Zbib said.

"I know the archive of Iraqi songs and melodies by heart. It is a rich and massive archive. I will continue to learn from it and sing songs by its artists," he continued.

After performing songs from veteran artists like Nazem El-Ghazali and Saadoun Jaber, he now aspires to sing songs from modern artists.

"My ambition is to sing a melody by the artist Hatem al-Iraqi. I will acquire a melody from him very soon," Ayman said.

When asked about a future concert in Iraq, he said, "I will carry to this country that is so dear to my heart more than one song dedicated especially to Iraq and the Iraqi people."

Ayman Zbib has 50 concerts scheduled for this season across the Arab world.

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