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Yup, “Diwan Al-Qalb” is happening in just a few more days. I’ve been looking forward to this event - which will be my first proper solo recital in Tokyo (despite playing music in a number cultural events and big concert halls around Japan both alone and with other musicians).

Here’s an explanation of the title. I wanted the title to be something Middle Eastern and yet not stereotypical. That means no “Open-Sesame”, “Flying Carpets”, “Arabian Nights” nor anything to do with Oil or Endless Deserts. I wanted it to be about something beyond political turmoil and clichés. I consider the word “Diwan” to be a very loaded word, that mostly revolves around the concept of welcoming someone into one’s home or expressing one’s self. A “diwan” may be a collection of poetry, a hall in which guests would meet with their host and talk about a number of things (I don’t know why but I always have an image of a tribal leader or a Sultan’s court in which he would meet his visitors), or just the comfy couch made famous by the Turks in which guests may recline on comfortably and enjoy their visit. “Qalb”, incidentally, is the literal Arabic translation for “Heart”. In effect, I want the event to be one in which the pieces I perform to be a collection of what the heart would share with both the performer (me) and the audience, as if it (the heart, that is) were Sultan for the day (minus any negative connotations), and that it is displayed in a fashion open for all to see.

The selection of pieces I made for the day span different areas and eras of the Middle East and its culture through the strings and fretless neck of the Oud. I will play music by displaced Palestinians, Ottoman Nobles, Egyptian Composers, Andalusian Muwashahaat, some Japanese music (for a change of pace) and conclude with - *cough cough* - singing “Ana Yusif Ya Abi” by one of my personal heroes, Marcel Khalifé. Marcel Khalifé, and in despite of his good intentions, has always been hounded by particular elements in Middle Eastern society that try to limit artistic and individual expression and I laud Mr. Khalifé for continuing in his musical journeys. It was “Ana Yusif Ya Abi” - and some ridiculous notion about it being somehow blasphemous in a way most of the civilized world fails to see- that was the premise in which he was taken to court in Beirut by a gang of longbeards. I remember keeping up with the news on this issue while I was a high school student because I was interested in Mr. Khalifé’s music after seeing him perform his “Jadal: Oud Duo” with Charbel Rouhana in Bahrain in 1997. Ultimately, Mr. Khalifé was announced to be innocent of “attacking Islam” through singing the words of this song, which were originally written by the famous Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish. Sadly, being pronounced as “innocent” still implies that some type of crime has occurred, which in the opinion of many, is very unfair to Mr. Khalifé and artists - whose duty it is to express themselves - in general. Mr. Khalifé was put in another series of hot-water courtesy of a set of Bahrain-based longbeards for the “Majnoun Layla Project” in which he collaborated with Bahraini Poet, Qassim Haddad, and a dance group from Beirut during Bahrain’s “Spring of Culture” opening ceremony on March 1 and 2. What I was getting to was that - and in support of freedom of expression and Mr. Khalifé’s struggles - I chose to perform “Yusif” in an environment in which I need not fear anyone claiming to be an “authority” over what I may or may not say muting my words.

Tomorrow, I’ve got a “dress rehearsal” at the gallery to see how things sound in preparation for Saturday’s event.

Funny, while I was on my daily evening walk today, I decided to give my mother in Bahrain a call to say hi. As soon as she answered the phone, I noticed a guitar-pick lying on the sidewalk. As I pocketed it, I took this whole scenario as something positive.

Wish me luck!

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