“The repertoire will include songs originating from Iraq’s classical tradition and its folklore, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Foag el-Nakhakl is one of the songs to be performed, among the oldest and best-known in the region, sung by many different Arab singers all over the world. It is a song which possesses a melody with deep roots in Iraq and among the Iraqi people. Another of the songs is Ala Shawati Dijlah (On the Banks of the Tigris) composed by Saleh al-Kuwaiti, a Jewish Iraqi composer. This song recreates a lovely image of the Tigris as it passes through Baghdad and describes the natural beauty of Iraq in the springtime, with its trees and rivers. It also speaks to us of the co-existence which once characterized Iraq, where people of all religions and beliefs were members of the same community, providing mutual assistance to thrive. As an Iraqi in the diaspora, this song makes me feel closer to the home I have never known, and I play it wherever I go. The program will consist of ten songs of a similar type, some performed in the traditional way, and others with a contemporary touch to reflect the times we live in, as well as reflecting my experience as a young Arab,” Layth Sidiq.

Concert information sheet

Layth Sidiq is an award-winning violinist, vocalist and composer who has traveled all over the world performing with great artists like Javier Limón, Jack Dejohnette, Gary Burton and others. In 2018, Layth was one of the winners of the Zbigniew Seiferten International Jazz Violin Competition in Poland.

Hames Bitar. A Syrian oud player with a well-known career in our country’s music scene, he has been living in Spain since 1998.

Luis Taberna. A percussionist who specializes in Middle Eastern percussion,  Taberna lived in Tunisia for three years, where he specialized in Middle Eastern percussion (the darbuka, bendir and riq).