{"id":305235,"date":"2022-01-05T16:29:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=305235"},"modified":"2022-01-06T13:22:43","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T16:22:43","slug":"syrian-musician-produces-lutes-in-sao-paulo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/syrian-musician-produces-lutes-in-sao-paulo\/","title":{"rendered":"Syrian musician produces lutes in S\u00e3o Paulo"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 Syrian Rajana Olba started a new stage in his career in Brazil. Since the coronavirus outbreak, with concerts and events being interrupted, the musician has found himself without his primary source of income. Then, Olba decided to learn how to make his own instruments.<\/p>\n

Living in Brazil for over six years, the Syrian has tried several times to find a lute to match his expectations. \u201cI bought four or five, and I didn\u2019t like them and kept buying others, but they didn\u2019t have the sound I wanted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hence, the musician also discovered himself a luthier. The production of instruments is today Olba\u2019s principal occupation. The products are sold online, mainly on marketplaces like Mercado Livre and through the Syrian\u2019s Facebook page<\/a>. \u201cI enjoy working as a luthier, and I sold instruments to five Brazilian states, and I\u2019m planning to sell them abroad. I\u2019ve already had contacts from Germany, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n

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The Syrian explains the instrument is still rare in the country<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To get to the quality he needed for his songs, Olba realized he would need to produce lutes himself. With the experience of playing the instrument for over 20 years and access to online tutorials, he took advantage of his time at home. \u201cI learned on my own, watching different videos, and I also learned how to make cavaquinhos and violins that way,\u201d he said in an interview with ANBA.<\/p>\n

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In addition to the lutes, the luthier produces cavaquinhos and violins<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Syrian uses woods such as imbuia, purpleheart, ivorywood, and walnut for the back and neck to produce the instruments. On the other hand, the top requires imported woods, such as Canadian cedar, African mahogany, or pink cedar. \u201cThe use [of the material] depends on what the customer wants and the price,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

The luthier produces instruments by request. The production of each instrument takes 20 to 30 days, and most of the raw material is purchased in Brazil. Olba\u2019s clients are primarily professional musicians, but there are also amateurs and students just starting to learn their first instrument.<\/p>\n

Since he migrated to Brazil, the Syrian has already worked on a farm and as an electrician, in addition to having taken a barista course<\/a>. In addition to his work as a luthier, Olba maintained his career as a composer and musician and created the band Nikkal. The musician even performed online at the Casa da Cultura do Butant\u00e3. The band is now looking for new opportunities for concerts and events.<\/p>\n

Listen, below, to one of Rajana Olba\u2019s compositions:<\/p>\n