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music I b y Jennifer Nesselroad W i t h his u n i q u e style o f E a s t - W e s t a c o u s t i c f u s i o n , S y r i a n m u s i c i a n A b d u l l a h C h h a d e h is d e d i c a t e d t o s h a r i n g t h e rich musical t r a d i t i o n s o f his h o m e l a n d w i t h b o t h Easterners a n d Westerners alike. His l i g h t n i n g q u i c k f i n g e r s , e n e r g y a n d musical ingenuity will e n c h a n t a n y o n e w h o c h o o s e s t o listen. A b d u l l a h C h h a d e h is a v i r t u o s o m u s i c i a n a n d c o m p o s e r . H e plays t h e q a n u n ( K A H N U N ) , a m u l t i - s t r i n g e d d e s c e n d e n t o f the harp, t u n e d an o c t a v e h i g h e r t o a l l o w f o r greater musical e x p l o r a t i o n . His dexterity o n t h e i n s t r u m e n t is a s t o u n d i n g . T h e q a n a n , a n a n c i e n t A r a b i a n z i t h e r , is a t r a p e z o i d - s h a p e d flat s o u n d b o x w i t h 81 s t r i n g s , a r r a n g e d in g r o u p s o f t h r e e f o r each note a n d generally p l u c k e d w i t h l o n g p l e c t r u m s a t t a c h e d to t h e index f i n g e r s of e a c h h a n d . M e a n i n g " l a w " in A r a b i c , t h e q a n u n is c o n s i d e r e d o n e o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a n d characteristic instruments of the A r a b i c w o r l d , according to C h h a d e h . In e n s e m b l e s , t h e q a n u n player is a l w a y s p l a c e d in the centre, a n d t h e o t h e r musicians t u n e t o h i m . C h h a d e h b e g a n his e d u c a t i o n in a r e f u g e e c a m p in t h e G o l a n Heights w h e n a family friend f a s h i o n e d a small o u d (Arabic lute) for h i m . A f t e r h e a r i n g his first p e r f o r m a n c e o f t h e q a n u n at the a g e of 2 3 , he fell in love w i t h t h e i n s t r u m e n t a n d studied under t h e legendary q a n u n player Selim S e r w e h f o r t w o years. C h h a d e h w e n t o n t o study b o t h Classical A r a b i c a n d W e s t e r n music f o r five years at t h e C o n s e r v a t i o r e of D a m a s c u s . A f t e r a performance in L o n d o n f o r t h e S y r i a n Embassy, he w a s The group's first album, a w a r d e d a scholarship at L o n d o n ' s prestigious G u i l d h a l l S c h o o l of M u s i c w h e r e he refined his skills as a c o m p o s e r a n d started to i n t r o d u c e t h e q a n u n ' s distinctive s o u n d t o n e w settings. M u c h of C h h a d e h ' s m u s i c is i n s p i r e d by his h o m e city o f D a m a s c u s . His w o r k i n c l u d e s a d a p t a t i o n s f r o m t h e S y r i a n , Turkish, A z e r b a i j a n i , a n d A n d a l u s i a n traditions as w e l l as m o r e u n e x p e c t e d i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o f w e l l - k n o w n W e s t e r n classical c o m p o s e r s s u c h as V i v a l d i , B a c h , H a n d e l , a n d M o z a r t . In a n effort t o m a k e t r a d i t i o n a l s o n g s m o r e accessible t o W e s t e r n a u d i e n c e s , he d i v i d e s his t i m e b e t w e e n hard-core Arabic Cap Folk ' n ' Roots Series presents A b d u l l a h C h h a d e h a n d Nara February 27, 2005 @ 8 p m @ Capilano College Performing Theatre. Tickets S25/S22 Box office: 604.990.7810 J a n u a r y I F e b r u a r y 15 Arts C h a d d e h ' s e n s e m b l e , Nara, w a s f o r m e d in 2 0 0 1 a n d c o m b i n e s his q a n u n with a variety of traditional a n d mainstream i n s t r u m e n t s : a n ever-evolving musical project b a s e d entirely o n Chhadeh's original compositions. W i t h Bernard O'Neill o n d o u b l e bass, S i m o n W e b s t e r o n d r u m kit, Louaie A l H e n a w i o n nay, M a z i n A b u Sayf o n a r a b i c a c c o r d i o n a n d Ibo o n a r a b i c percussion (darbuka), the multi-cultural ensemble has c a p t i v a t e d a u d i e n c e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e U K , Paris, C a n a r y Islands, A u s t r i a a n d C a n a d a . Denmark, Abdullah Chhadeh and Nara ( C H H 2 0 0 2 ) w a s recorded at W O M E X 2 0 0 1 in R o t t e r d a m . " T h e three o r i g i n a l C h h a d e h c o m p o s i t i o n s carry a w e a r y w e i g h t o f memory punctuated by a n u n d e r t o n e of h o p e . " (Rupert B o t t e n b e r g July 2 0 0 4 ) The evening promises to be an exotic journey you w o n ' t want to miss. traditional music a n d a softer-focus version f o r W e s t e r n ears, including pieces w i t h a nay (a w i n d instrument), daf (a f r a m e drum) a n d d o u b l e bass.