Mustapha-Kateb room of Mahieddine-Bachtarzi National Theater (TNA), half-operated, for obvious health security reasons linked to Covid-19 pandemic, hosted Italy and Portugal, two countries in south of Europe, who came to recall their great friendship with Algeria, during the 21st edition of this festival, which opened on June 24th.
Salim Dada and the ten musicians of his orchestra presented, “Waçlat al ashwaq”, a performance of high quality presented in solemn atmospheres on behalf of Italy, in front of a collected audience, subject to strict compliance with preventive measures against the spread of the Coronavirus.
Opening his recital with a tribute to the great Italian composer, Ennio Morricone (1919-2020), the maestro performed with his ensemble, two extracts of music from films by this music giant, “Theme of Ali” from “The battle of ‘Algiers’ by Gillo Pontecorvo (1919-2006) and the “Man with the Harmonica” from “Once Upon a Time in the West” by Sergio Leone (1929-1989) starring the famous Charles Bronson (1921-2003).
On the texts of Brahim Ben Ali El Hasry, Ibn Sahl Al Andaloussi, Safa Eddine El Hula, Lissane Eddine El Khatib and Ibn Nabata El Masry, the Ensemble Salim Dada presented ten pieces of his composition, with oriental modal variations, conceived on rhythms composed with irregular cadences.
Thus, the public was able to appreciate the pieces, “Taqsim Nahawound Guitare”, “Sama’i Ashwaq”, “Ya hal bakaïtu”, “Taqsim oud”, “Hal dara”, “Lunga Nahawound”, “Shuqqa jaybou-l -layl “,” Djadaka-l-ghaithu “and” Ma massa “.
For its part, the “Alg-rio and Hind” group, under the light of great evenings, Nazim Bakour, breathtaking guitarist and peerless composer, Soheib Stambouli on mandolin, Farid Mokaddem on nay and Hind Boukella on vocals took the audience on a dreamlike hike, made possible thanks to an intense collaboration between them.
Hind Boukella and Alg-rio brilliantly performed a prolific repertoire of fifteen pieces around Fado, a multicultural synthesis of Afro-Brazilian sung dances and traditional genres from local and rural areas of Portugal, inscribed in 2011 by Unesco, on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The concert was attended by the Ambassador and President of the European Union Commission in Algeria John O’Rourke and the ambassadors of Italy and Portugal in Algeria, Giovanni Pugliese and Luis de Albuquerque Veloso, respectively.
The 21st edition of the European Cultural Festival continues at the Algerian National Theater until July 2, under the slogan “Algeria sings for Europe.”
It includes many Algerian singers and musicians, such as the symphonic ensemble “Acima” and the “Garage Band”, which will sing on Tuesday evening in honor of Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Denmark.
