Hijazkar Suite by Sharq Ensemble

released January 30, 2023

The SHARQ Ensemble was created by Egyptian musician Karim Nagi in 1999. The word "Sharq" means "East" in the Arabic language. The goal of the group was to present authentic Arab vocal and instrumental music, using the traditional acoustic instruments. The group originally specialized in medieval Arabic music from the Andalusian and Ottoman periods. Over the past decade, the ensemble added 20th century classics from Egypt and Syria, plus regional Arabic folklore from North Africa and the Eastern Arab countries. The focus of the group has always been to revive the repertoire, style and presentation of Arab music.

The SHARQ Ensemble is dedicated to preserving and presenting traditional Arabic vocal and instrumental music. Their repertoire is one that is rarely played by even the most dedicated professionals in the Arab world. SHARQ chooses vocal and instrumental pieces that illustrate the rich and buoyant possibilities of the genre, without fixating on the popular or commercial versions. SHARQ seeks to share this heritage through concerts and verbal presentations. SHARQ consists of young professional musicians from several cities in the Arab world and Turkey. Their geographic diversity demonstrates the variety of styles and heritages of the Near East, and their obvious synthesis. The musicians' youthful demeanor and performance style helps revitalize these classics, presenting them as a living art. Their education and cosmopolitan attitudes serve as a compelling and healthy representation of the modern and artistic Arab individual. With all the current political antagonisms, SHARQ utterly dissolves the fictitious dichotomy between the Arab and Western worlds.

karimnagi.com/sharq