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Omar Souleyman

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This article is about the Syrian singer. For other uses, see Omar Suleiman.
Omar Souleyman
Omar Souleyman performing at Perth International Arts Festival in 2011
Background information
Birth nameOmar Almasikh
Also known asOmar Souleyman
Born1966
Ras al-Ayn, al-Hasakah, Syria
OriginTell Tamer, al-Hasakah, Syria
Genres
Occupations
InstrumentVocals
Years active1994–present
Labels
Websiteomarsouleyman.bandcamp.com

Omar Almasikh[1] (Arabic: عمر المسيخ; born 1966[2]), better known by his stage name Omar Souleyman (عمر سليمان), is a Syrian singer. He began his career in 1994 singing at weddings and has since released numerous records and performed all over the world. He produces a modernized version of the traditional dabke.

Early life

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Omar Souleyman was born in the village of Ras al-Ayn[3] near the Syria–Turkey border but grew up in the city of Tell Tamer.[4] He started his career as a part-time wedding singer in his native al-Hasakah Governorate, and while he is a Sunni Arab, he emphasises the influence its culturally diverse milieu has had on his style:

"My music is from the community I come from – the Arabs, the Kurds, the Assyrians, they're all in this community. Even Turkish because it's so near, it's just across the border. And even Iraqi."[5]

Career

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Omar Souleyman began his career in 1994, working with a number of musicians with whom he still performs. Although over 500 albums have been released under his name, the vast majority of these albums are recordings made at weddings and given as gifts to the married couple, which are then copied and sold at local kiosks.[6]

His music is characterized by his blend of Middle Eastern melodies with ululating keyboards, electronic beats and throaty vocals.[7]

In October 2013 a newly recorded album Wenu Wenu was released by UK label Ribbon Music.[8]

Collaborations and notable appearances

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He appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in 2011, and performed during Chaos in Tejas in Austin, Texas in June 2011.[9] In August 2011, Omar Souleyman appeared at Paredes de Coura in Portugal. Souleyman was chosen by Caribou to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead, England.[10]

In 2011 he recorded three remixes for Björk's Biophilia, all found on the second disc of her "Crystalline Series".

In 2013 he worked with British producer Four Tet on his album Wenu Wenu. He collaborated with Four Tet again on his 2015 release Bahdeni Nami.

In August 2013, before his performance at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, Swedish authorities initially denied his artist visa out of concern that he would request asylum. His visa was granted two days before the festival.[11] In December 2013, he performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.[12]

In June 2014 he performed at The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. In July he performed at Roskilde Festival, Denmark and at the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival, in Birmingham, UK. He then performed at One Love Festival in Istanbul on 16 June 2014.[13] In August 2014 he performed at Pukkelpop Festival in Kiewit, Hasselt in Belgium.[14] Later that summer on 31 August he played the Electric Picnic festival in Ireland.[15] He also played at Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho in March 2015.[16] In October 2017 he performed at Bristol's SimpleThings festival.

Personal life

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Souleyman has been living in Turkey since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, which heavily impacted his home region.[17] While in Turkey, Souleyman established a free bakery in the border town of Akçakale, in order to serve poor families from Turkey and Syrian refugees. In November 2021, he was arrested on charges of terrorism, over reports that he had recently travelled back to an area of Syria controlled by the PKK's Syrian affiliate, the YPG.[18] Souleyman was released two days later.[19]

He is self-describedly "not into politics" and "[doesn't] know any solution" for the Syrian civil war.[5]

Discography

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External media
Audio
audio icon "You Must Hear This: Bjork Picks Omar Souleyman, All Things Considered on National Public Radio, 2009-06-29
Video
video icon Omar Souleyman - Haram in Brooklyn - June 2010

Albums

References

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  1. ^ "Omar Souleyman, star de l'électro-folk syrienne, arrêté en Turquie pour " terrorisme "". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  2. ^ "Souleyman le magnifique". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  3. ^ سبب شهرته العالمية وماذا كان يعمل قبل الفن ولماذا سمية بالكيصر مع الأعلامية أحلام بناوي., archived from the original on 2022-10-04, retrieved 2022-10-04 (Timestamp-Minute 1:00)
  4. ^ Krukowski, Damon (31 October 2010). "Souleyman: Dabke 2.0". boston.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (18 October 2013). "Omar Souleyman: from wedding singer to the world". Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. ^ "OMAR SOULEYMAN – Love him or hate him". Andy Morgan Writes. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  7. ^ "Omar Souleyman: The Syrian wedding singer wooing the west". TheGuardian.com. 20 August 2015. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Omar Souleyman Announces Four Tet-Produced LP Wenu Wenu | News". Pitchfork. 2013-07-18. Archived from the original on 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  9. ^ Levy, A. "Chaos in Tejas Preview: Omar Souleyman, The King of Syrian Techno". The Austinist. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  10. ^ "ATP Nightmare Before Christmas". Atpfestival.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  11. ^ Omar Souleyman granted a visa Archived 2015-09-29 at the Wayback Machine, Radio Sweden 7 August 2012
  12. ^ "Omar Souleyman". Nobel Peace Prize Concert. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  13. ^ "Omar Souleyman: Hipster'lara Halay Çektiren Adam". redbull.com. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  14. ^ "Pukkelpop 2014". pukkelpop.be. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Electric Picnic: Omar Souleyman - Acid House via the Levant". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  16. ^ Barnhill, Frankie (16 January 2015). "Syrian Wedding Singer Omar Souleyman Among New Treefort Music Fest Performers". boisestatepublicradio.org. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  17. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (18 October 2013). "Omar Souleyman: from wedding singer to the world". Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  18. ^ McKernan, Bethan (17 November 2021). "Syrian musician Omar Souleyman held on terrorism charges in Turkey". The Guardian. Istanbul. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  19. ^ Monroe, Jazz (19 November 2021). "Omar Souleyman Released After Questioning in Turkey". Pitchfork. New York: Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Shlon, by Omar Souleyman". Omar Souleyman. Archived from the original on 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
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