Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.10.2013, Síða 60

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DELICIOUSNESS
Aside from the kebab shop muzak and
the ominous wailings heard in Ameri-
can action movies whenever the setting
is moved outside the U.S., your average
Icelander is not likely to have much expo-
sure to Arabic music. This makes Omar
Souleyman one of the more unusual cul-
tural crossovers to reach Iceland’s shores.
A prominent dabke musician in his home
country of Syria, he performs a style of
ultra-fast, chaotic dabke, leaning towards
techno and always on the verge of veer-
ing off course. Souleyman claims to have
released over 500 albums and cassettes,
although most of them were in the form
of live recordings at weddings, where he
continues to perform alongside the festi-
val touring circuit.
Brought to the West’s attention by the
label Sublime Frequencies, which has
been releasing compilations of his works
since 2006, Omar Souleyman is never
seen without his trademark moustache,
his keffiyeh and his Columbian drug lord
sunglasses; his stage presence is best de-
scribed as stoic, as he stands and recites
breathless poetry over frantic Casio-beats.
We love his music, and want you all
to go see him. To promote his show, we
therefore sent him a few questions by way
of a translator (omitting anything involv-
ing Syrian politics, at his request).
THE OBLIGATORY ICE-
LAND QUESTIONS
Hey, Mr. Souleyman! Thank you
for taking the time to answer a
few questions. Let’s start with
the Iceland connection. I must
ask about the remix of the song
“Crystalline.” How did this col-
laboration come about and how
did you approach the remix?
Björk had contacted me and wanted
us to work on a project together. I re-
corded three songs in the studio and
that was all. She then recorded her
voice over it and improved it in ways
that were best suited.
What is your impression of
Iceland?
I do not know much about Iceland,
I am sorry. I know it could be cold
there, because it is all ice.
Your last visit to the Nordic
countries did not go so well.
You were originally banned
from performing in Sweden
last August, due to a change in
Swedish immigration law. What
happened there and how did you
solve it?
Everything worked out just fine in
August with Sweden in the end. Yes,
there was a visa denial initially, but
my team have solved that with great
persistence and the help of the pro-
moter from Sweden. And the Swed-
ish press got involved and was very
supportive.
DAFT PUNK
In the west (certainly to my
ears) the appeal of your music
seems to lie in its raw, fast,
chaotic style. It immediately
reminds me of punk rock. And
indeed, Mark Gergis at Sublime
Frequencies, who has been
instrumental in bringing your
music to an American audience,
has a background in punk and
noise music. How does this im-
age in the West compare to your
image back home? And what is
your opinion on Western punk
rock music?
I have no opinion on punk music—
I do not know what it is. Of course
the audience is welcome to see and
hear it as they please and I am glad it
reminds you of something you like.
Mark has only taken my tapes and
started selling them in the West. My
audience grew with live shows that
I have been doing for the last four
years and there are many more peo-
ple involved in that process. I no lon-
ger work with that label, and I have
a new album coming in the end of
October with a new label and I am
very much looking forward to that.
Much of your fame has come
about through the anarchic
distribution of cassette tapes.
What is your opinion on modern
distribution methods as well as
music piracy on the internet?
My cassettes were distributed in
Syria in the way that it is done in our
country and this has benefited me.
Maybe to someone else from outside
that looks old fashioned or some-
thing like this, but this is the only
way we know how. We also do not
have any laws that protect our work
so many people copy it and I am not
pleased about this.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
What kind of audience do you
have in mind when you make
your music? Has it changed now
that you have found some fame
outside of the Middle East?
My music and inspiration remain
the same. My songs are about love
and heartache because of love and
such simple things in life. I am
pleased about how many more peo-
ple listen to my music all over the
world, but I remain true to my mu-
sic as before.
I don't speak Arabic, but I've
been told that much of your lyr-
ics are improvised during your
live shows. I have also read that
your lyrics are born out of a col-
laboration with poet Mahmoud
Harbi—could you elaborate?
No, actually it is at weddings and
celebrations that last for hours that
my lyrics are improvised and that
is when I collaborate with a poet. It
is different each time and depends
on the setting. Yes, I have worked
with Mahmoud Harbi, but also with
many, many others. He was only
mentioned once long ago, I believe
in the Western press, so everyone
keeps asking about him in the West.
In my shows in the West, my set is
precise—my lyrics are done from
memory and I know them all by
heart. The need to improvise the
lyrics at weddings is simply because
there is a wedding party to address
and there lies the difference.
What are your most common
lyrical themes?
My album is coming out at the end
of October and will contain full
translations of all of my lyrics. The
theme of all my lyrics is mainly
about love. There isn’t much more
than that.
FRIDAY ISSUE 16 — 2013GRAPEVINE AIRWAVES
Who: Omar Souleyman
Where: Harpa Silfurberg
When: Friday, November 1, at 23:00.
Omar Souleyman brings a new dimension
to Iceland Airwaves
—Words by Ragnar Egilsson
Michael Mees/flickr