“Marks of Identity” is a photographic tour through different countries in which Islam forms a part of everyday life. The journey begins to the south of Spain’s borders and moves towards the East, passing through Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, India, Vietnam and China. The snapshots explore different facets of religious worship, and its influence on the lives of the faithful and on the arts. It is a journey which allows us to observe and understand the similarities and differences between these countries, in which unity and diversity go hand in hand: unity in the nature of belief and diversity determined by the cultural tradition of peoples and their local customs.

Written in 18 languages at the same time, including Arabic and Spanish, Womagis shows the value held by words and how it is possible to create a better world through them, allowing the universal language of love to take over the world. So, how do children get to create this new language of friendship? With the magic pens that we will be making. A project created and written by Marta Villegas and illustrated by Mónica Carretero, with the participation of Leticia Yustos in encouraging participant involvement.

The workshop was designed for children between the ages of 6 and 10, and will be given in two sessions, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, which marks the date when the Prophet Mohammed received the first revelation from the Qur’an. Because of this, all Muslim countries, regardless of their culture and traditions, consider it a sacred holiday. Traditional religious music, oftentimes accompanied by instruments, is strongly linked to this holiday, which constitutes a cultural event shared by many different societies.

One example of this is Mesaharaty, a figure in Egypt who walks through the streets and pays visits to homes in the middle of the night to wake people up by banging on a small drum while singing certain songs in order to remind them that they must eat before the sun rises. As part of the Nights of Ramadan festival, five musicians originating from Syria, Egypt and Morocco will be giving a series of musical performances typical of the Ramadan festivities, showing us the different traditions from each region. We will hear cheerful tunes that welcome the festivity, as well as bidding it farewell on the last night of the month. This recital will show us the cultural diversity of a festival celebrated throughout the entire Arab and Muslim world.

Concert information sheet

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS

Samir el-Turky
A young Egyptian percussionist born in Cairo, el-Turky has a degree in Social Sciences and Psychology from the University of Cairo. His musical specialization is in percussion instruments, such as the darbuka, tabla, duff, bendir and riq. He is an expert on traditional Egyptian rhythms and Arab music.

Mahmoud Fares
A performer of songs from the Sufi tradition and Al-Andalus, Fares was born in Aleppo, Syria. At the age of ten, he sang alongside his father, one of the finest singers in Syria, educated at the Altakaya school. He has been a member of very well-known groups in his country, including the ensemble Al Inshad, which specializes in Sufi songs.  Fares is a very popular performer in his homeland, and throughout his career, he has given guidance to many singers about the modes of singing and basic musical study.

Houssam Hammoumi
Born in Fez, Morocco, Hammoumi has mastered the Arabic oud and woodwind instruments, such as the Arabic flute and the kawala. He completed his studies at the Conservatory of Andalusi Music in Fez and has also been a member of various Andalusi and Sufi music groups in many countries, including Portugal and Spain.

Mostafa Fahmy
A violinist and art director, Fahmy has a bachelor’s degree in Music and Art from the Cairo Art Academy. A lover of classical music from the West, in 2011 he decided to join the Gennevilliers Conservatory in Paris to begin studies in music research with Professor Pierre Henry Xuereb. Today, he runs an Egyptian music school in Paris, and his great experience in music has made him a notable mediator in several projects under way that combine Eastern and Western music.

Hames Bitar
A Syrian musician with a well-known career in our country’s music scene, he has been living in Spain since 1998. He has taken part in and collaborated with several classical Arab, Indian, fusion and flamenco music groups. He directed the recording of the album “Las Puertas de Oriente” and is the musical director of the company La Luna de Oriente.