Lebanese composer and oud player Marcel Khalifeh held a special charity concert at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on June 6, accompanied by Umayma Khalil and an eight-member ensemble. Together, they gave a lyrical and musical interpretation of Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish’s contemporary poetry, according to thisiscyberia.com.
The concert was all about poverty, resistance, freedom, democracy, human rights and peace, and aimed at improving the conditions of Palestinian children.
The London gig included songs from Khalifeh’s early releases as well as his later works. He was accompanied by Lebanese singer Umayma, who has been performing with him since she was 12 years old.
She and her husband, Hani Siblini, last year released an album under her name, a poppy mix of techno and oriental music. Umayma’s agent, Corine Sanan, told thisiscyberia.com that she would soon start recording a new album in a similar style as the debut album.
“Apparently, Mazaj, a song from the album Oumayma, is currently being played in a large number of clubs in London and Paris,” said Sanan.
The Khalifeh concert featuring Umayma was organized by the Palestinian Cultural Club in London – Albawaba.com
