São Paulo – Musician Ives al Sahar, from the state of Bahia, in the Brazilian Northeast, became acquainted with Arab percussion approximately 10 years ago, and fell in love with it. He already used to play the acoustic guitar and knew that his vocation for music might have something to do with the Moroccan blood that he inherited from his paternal great-grandmother. “I love Arab culture, especially the music, and I wanted to retrieve those origins,” says the musician. “As soon as I got to know Arab percussion, I knew for sure what I wanted to do. Now, I live off of it,” he says.
Born in the city of Salvador, Sahar started his career as a professional musician in 1997. Approximately six years ago, he acquired and perfected his technique for playing Arab instruments, such as the derbake, and ever since he has administered classes and workshops, given courses to musicians and belly dancers, as well as performed in centres of Arab culture.
Furthermore, he develops projects such as "Tardes do Oriente" (Eastern Afternoons), a travelling meeting of artists that takes place every three months, on average, at public squares or parks in the city, and "Crianças Criando" (Children Creating), which takes a little of the rhythm of Arab percussion to children in poor neighbourhoods in the capital of Bahia. Everything is free of charge. “We have not got support or a fixed place to expand the project, it is more of an experience, a first contact of the child with Arab percussion,” he explains.
“The children receive this knowledge spontaneously, and further on they might even find a profession in music. Hence the importance or carrying out the work in a continuous, consistent work, it is a free service to society,” he says. “Right now, I am associating myself with a pedagogue and devising a project in order to develop the work in a more organised, structured manner,” he stated.
According to the musician, despite the state of São Paulo (in the Southeast) concentrating a larger number of Arab descendents, it is in the Brazilian Northeast that the Arab influence is stronger. “Here, the Arab culture is rooted deep within the people, and comes off in the music, as well as the hot weather, which is very similar to that of Arab countries. I have also noticed that the way of speaking, simple, direct and warm, is akin to that of the Arabs,” he explains.
The musician’s Website is in its final phase of construction and should be up and running as of May 11th, at www.ivesahar.com.br .
Contact
E-mail: contato@ivesahar.com.br
Telephone: (+55 71) 8733-5854
*Translated by Gabriel Blum
