20 October 2013
“Crazy Opera” Kicks off the 22nd Bahrain International Music Festival at Bahrain National Theater
The Lebanese musical “Crazy Opera” kicked off the 22nd Bahrain International Music Festival in style today ,Sunday Oct 20, with a sell-out performance at the Bahrain National Theater.
Helmed by the show’s creator, acclaimed Lebanese soprano Samar Salamé, the musical is a fusion that combines a series of unrelated arias of different styles and time periods set to Arabic beats, with elements of music, dance, and choir.
Salamé, who was classically trained in Lebanon, Italy, and France, created Crazy Opera by moving away from the normal opera concept and relying only on the music and atmosphere to create the show’s unique ambience.
Joining her on stage was a whole team of multi-talented artists, including tenor Ziad Nehmeh and baritone Roger Abi Nader, the Beirut Chamber Orchestra led by maestro Toufic Maatouk with Ziyad Sahhab on oud, and professional dancers choreographed by Jean Sakr.
The Klazz Brothers and Cuba Percussion are set to perform next on October 21 with their inimitable style that combines classical European traditions with contrasting genres such as swing, jazz, salsa, and Cuban beats.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the 22nd Bahrain International Music Festival will take place from October 20 – 25, and highlights musical innovators from a wide range of genres and cultures.
This year’s lineup features award-winning artists from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Cuba, Germany, Azerbaijan, and the Czech Republic from a wide range of genres such as opera, Latin, Western classical, Arabic, and Azerbaijani music.
Except for Crazy Opera, all shows will be held at the Cultural Hall and are open to the public.
More information about the 22nd Bahrain International Music Festival is available at (www.moc.gov.bh) or on Twitter at (moc_bh).
