Rima Khcheich Concert Plays to Sold-out Crowds at Assembly Hall

Rima Khcheich during the concert

The sound of traditional Arabic music melded with contemporary jazz for two special performances on April 15 and 16, as Rima Khcheich sang and her band played to capacity crowds at AUB's Assembly Hall. The concerts, coordinated through the AUB Music Club, were arranged by Irab, a non-profit group dedicated to enhancing the promotion, production, and distribution of Oriental music.

The Rima Khcheich evenings were part of a larger Musiqa 1 Festival put on by Irab that also featured concerts at Saint Joseph University by Hassan Haffar from Syria and the Austrian band of Marwan Abado, a Palestinian living in Austria. Founded in 2003 by Bassel Kassem, Irab is raising money to make a library of traditional and contemporary Oriental music recordings, books, magazines, and studies. Their next big event will be a music festival this October, featuring bands from Palestine and Jordan, as well as the Lebanese Army Band.

Rima Khcheich, an internationally-known vocalist who teaches at the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music, was joined onstage by a five-piece band consisting of flute, guitar, oud, double bass, and drums. Several of the musicians who played with her also appear in her new album. The bassist, Tony Overwater, and drummer Joost Lijbaart were actually flown in from Holland especially for this performance, courtesy of the Netherlands Embassy.

About half of the 14-song set consisted of songs taken from Khcheich's new album, Yalalalli. It was the first time they were played in public. Some were originals and others were traditional Arabic songs rendered in a jazz format. The concert began with several moody ballads sung in Khcheich's strong yet understated style. A soprano saxophone was added in the second half of the program, which featured livelier jazz pieces and several instrumental solos. Throughout it all, Khcheich captivated the audience with her engaging smiles and outstanding vocal artistry.