Sultans of String: El Bint El Shalabeya
- Folk Canada
- 59 minutes ago
- 1 min read
In honour of the United Nations designating July 12th as the International Day of Hope, Sultans of String and the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra (under the direction of Maestro Dennis Mastromonaco) are sharing this live video of “El Bint El Shalabeya” from Sultans of String’s REFUGE concert, featuring acclaimed Syrian-Canadian vocalist Leen Hamo.
This arrangement is from the album REFUGE, a collaboration with over 30 musicians, including Majd Sukkar, Leen Hamo, Tamar Ilana, Padideh Ahrarnejad, Saskia Tomkins, Ahmed Moneka, Juan Carlos Medrano, Robi Botos, Ifrah Mansour, Demetrios Petsalakis, Imad Al Taha, Amir Amiri, Béla Fleck, Duke Redbird and others on a wide-ranging treatise on displaced peoples.
These collaborations speak to the challenges facing the world’s displaced peoples–their stories, their songs, their persistence and their humanity, and the humanitarian response that should greet everyone in search of a home.
“This project is centred around the positive contributions of refugees and new immigrants to North America,” says bandleader Chris McKhool (ancestral name Makhoul), whose Lebanese grandfather stowed away on a ship bound for North America a century ago.
“We’re collaborating with special guests on the album who are newcomers to this land, Indigenous artists, as well as global talents who have been ambassadors for peace. We wish to celebrate the successes of those who make the journey here and bring their extraordinary talents with them. We hope the conversations we can have as musicians will provide a model for peace that will inspire our politicians and citizens.”
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