Vocalist
Yara joined pioneering Oxford Maqam ensemble in 2009 and has performed both in the UK and internationally. Most of her sung repertoire is of the Egyptian wasla tradition of the mid to late 19th century, singing taqtuqa, muwashshah and dawr forms by Egyptian composers including Zakariyya Ahmad, Dawud Husni, Abd al-Rahim al-Maslub and Mohammad Osman.
Following her work on Munira Al-Mahdiyya (c.1885-1965), an Egyptian commercial recording and musical theatre star, Yara and Oxford Maqam recently performed Munira's rarely heard songs Suburt w Nult and Isma' Aghani Al-Mahdiyya. Reviving songs unheard for many decades is a special interest of the ensemble. In 2016 they performed the dawr Min Yawm ‘Arift Al-Hub, recording it on a wax cylinder phonograph for the first time.
Arab musicians of the mid-20th century have also had a significant influence on Yara's performances. Oxford Maqam have performed classics from this so-called 'golden era', including Riyad Al-Sunbati's Lahn al Wafa and Mohamed Abdel Wahab's Majnun Layla with Oxford Maqam's Big Band.
Yara studies the vocal repertoire of early 20th century Palestinian musical tradition, and has trained with Syrian singer-composer Basel Saleh. She has performed this repertoire across the UK accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Kareem Samara.
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Following her work on Munira Al-Mahdiyya (c.1885-1965), an Egyptian commercial recording and musical theatre star, Yara and Oxford Maqam recently performed Munira's rarely heard songs Suburt w Nult and Isma' Aghani Al-Mahdiyya. Reviving songs unheard for many decades is a special interest of the ensemble. In 2016 they performed the dawr Min Yawm ‘Arift Al-Hub, recording it on a wax cylinder phonograph for the first time.
Arab musicians of the mid-20th century have also had a significant influence on Yara's performances. Oxford Maqam have performed classics from this so-called 'golden era', including Riyad Al-Sunbati's Lahn al Wafa and Mohamed Abdel Wahab's Majnun Layla with Oxford Maqam's Big Band.
Yara studies the vocal repertoire of early 20th century Palestinian musical tradition, and has trained with Syrian singer-composer Basel Saleh. She has performed this repertoire across the UK accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Kareem Samara.
Click for more on Oxford Maqam
