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 Marcel
Khalife
Biography:
UNESCO Artist for Peace
Marcel
Khalifé was born in 1950 in Amchit, Lebanon. He studied the
oud (the Arabic lute) at the Beirut National conservatory, and,
ever since, has been injecting a new life into the oud.
From
1970 to 1975, Marcel Khalifé taught at the conservatory and
other local institutions. During that same period, he toured the
Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States giving solo
performances on the oud.
oud
playing was traditionally constrained by the strict techniques that
governed its playing. Highly talented and skillful musicians such
as Marcel Khalifé were, however, able to free the instrument
from those constraints and thus greatly expanding its possibilities.
In
1972, Marcel Khalifé created a musical group in his native
village with the goal of reviving its musical heritage and the Arabic
chorale. The first performances took place in Lebanon. 1976 saw
the birth of Al Mayadine Ensemble. Enriched by the previous ensemble's
musical experiences, Al Mayadine's notoriety went well beyond Lebanon.
Accompanied by his musical ensemble, Marcel Khalifé began
a lifelong far-reaching musical journey, performing in Arab countries,
Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, and
Japan.
Marcel
Khalifé has been invited several times to festivals of international
fame such as: Baalbeck, Beit Eddine (Lebanon), Carthage, El Hammamat
(Tunisia), Timgad (Algeria), Jarash (Jordan), Arles (France), Krems,
Linz (Austria), Bremen (Germany), ReOrient (Sweden), Pavia (Italy),
World Music Festival in San Francisco, New York, Cleveland (the
USA).
He
has performed in such prestigious halls as the "Palace of Arts"
in Montreal, "Symphony Space" and "Merkin Concert"
in New York, "Berklee Theatre" and "New England Conservatory"
in Boston, "Royal Festival Hall", and "Queen Elizabeth
Hall" in London, "UNESCO Palace" of Beirut, Cairo
Opera House (Egypt), "Reciprocity", "House of the
Cultures of the World" and "UNESCO Hall" in Paris,
"Central Dionysia" in Rome, "Yerba Buena" in
San Francisco, "Sodra Teatern" in Stokholm.
Since
1974, Marcel Khalifé has been composing music for dance which
gave rise to a new genre of dance, the popular Eastern ballet (Caracalla,
Sarab Ensemble, Rimah, and Popular Art Ensemble).
Marcel
Khalifé has also been composing soundracks for film, documentary
and fiction, produced by Maroun Baghdadi and Oussama Mouhamad among
others.
He
has also composed several purely instrumental works like The Symphony
of Return, Chants of the East, Concerto Al Andalus- Suite for Oud
and Orchestra, Mouda'aba (Caress) , Diwan Al Oud, Jadal Oud duo,
Oud Quartet, Al Samaa in the traditional Arabic forms and Taqasim,
duo for oud and double bass and most recently Sharq performed by
the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Piacenza Choir.
Marcel
Khalifé's compositions have been performed by several orchestras,
notably the Kiev Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Boulogne Billancourt
Orchestra, The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of
the city of Tunis, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the
Italian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra
and the "Absolute Ensemble".
Since
1982, Marcel Khalifé has been writing books on music that
reflect his avant garde compositions and the maturity of his experience.
His
challenges, however, are not only musical in character. Interpreter
of music and oud performer, he is also a composer who is deeply
attached to the text on which he relies. In his association with
great contemporary Arab poets, particularly Palestinian poet par
excellence, Mahmoud Darwish, he seeks to renew the character of
the Arabic song, to break its stereotypes, and to advance the culture
of the society that surrounds it.
His
lyrical recordings adds up to about 20 albums, the likes Promises
of the storm, Ahmad Al Arabi, Weddings, Peace Be With you, Ode To
A Homeland, Arabic Coffeepot, The Children, and Body(Al Jassad,)
to name a few.
On
his journey, Marcel Khalifé invents and creates original
music, a novel world of sounds, freed of all pre-established rules.
This language elevates him to the level of an ambassador of his
own culture and to the vanguard of Near Eastern music in search
of innovators.
Lebanese
composer, oud master and singer Marcel Khalife was awarded the 2007
Grand Prize of the prestigious L'Académie Charles Cros (www.charlescros.org)
in the World Music Category. L'Académie Charles
Cros is the French equivalent of the US Recording Academy (also
known as the Grammy Awards). The award was given in recognition
of his latest work Taqasim, which Khalife dedicates to his friend
the renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
Taqasim
is an all instrumental composition for oud, double bass and percussion,
featuring Peter Herbert on bass and Bachar Khalife on percussion.
Taqasim
is released by Nagam Records/Connecting Cultures labels. The work
was critically acclaimed and well received by music critics as well
as audiences worldwide.
L'Académie
Charles Cros was established in 1948 and named after the acclaimed
French poet and inventor Charles Cros. This year marks the 60th
Anniversary of the award. The ceremony took place at RADIO FRANCE
in Paris on November 30th, 2007. This award came in the wake of
the completion of Khalife¹s successful 24 cities US and Canada
tour, in which Taqasim was the opening part of his performances
through out the tour.
Contact: editorial@onefineart.com
>>Lebanon's
Khalife sings it OUD, proud. Arts Music and Lifestyle
>>Profile:
Marcel Khalife's Lebanese musical traditions by Scott Simon
Online Portfolio available at marcelkhalife.com
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