| Current date: Thursday April 17, 2003 - Issue: (631), Volume 13 , From 14 April 2003 to 20 April 2003
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Ayoob Tarish
Absi:
Legacy of a
traditional Yemeni singer
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| Ayoob Tarish
Absi | |  oming from the country
side of Al-Aboos in the governorate of Taiz, he brought to the
world a spectacularly wonderful and colorful portrait of
traditional Yemeni songs and music.
Nicknamed “Yemen’s
Bulbul”, Ayoob Tarish Al-Absi is the voice that accompanied us
throughout the last three decades. His songs accompanied us
during happy and sad days. His patriotism was clearly
resembled in the national anthem and other national works he
contributed to the country.
Even now as the Arab world is
going through critical times, we find the best elements that
comfort us and encourage us to go on in Ayoob’s national
songs. Just like his song “Come back to your land, it’s crying
for you” was effective in encouraging a lot of Yemenis to
decide not to be part of the massive immigration move that
took place in the 1990s to Gulf countries, it also reflects
the true love to Yemen this singer has.
He is an artist of
all types and for all occasions. He was closely linked to the
religious sentiments especially that of Shiekh Ahmad Bin Alwan
and Sheikh Mohammed Al-Junaid. For example, the song “Jala’
Al-Qalb” (Purity of Heart), which he termed as the closest to
his heart was derived from his relations to those religious
personalities.
Ayoob’s performance reached its peak when
he joined late poet Mr. Abdulla Abdulwahhab Noman. As a poet
and singer, those two created a spectacular team that excelled
in producing many beautiful songs that would remain in the
Yemeni as well as Arab memory forever.
However this great
artist did not receive the recognition or appreciation he
deserved. In his humble home, which also belongs to Sheikh
Mohammed Al-Junaid, he is left alone with little care or
attention by the authorities.
Q: How did it all start
for you? And who supported you throughout your career?
A: I
was a fan of the late musician Mohammed Abdulwahhab, and used
to imitate his actions and by-heart his songs. In school I
used to recite Quran in the school broadcast and school events
and I used to sing for my friends during my school time and
honestly speaking, they used to love it and they all
encouraged me to sing even more.
When I finished study
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| Sheikh Mohammed
Al-Junaid | | ing
I started working and gradually saved money from my salary and
then bought my first traditional Arabic guitar “Ud”.
I
started discovering the strings and the tunes then I came to
know a few musicians who helped me explore and learn the
basics of playing and singing. I used to stay late at night in
the house roof practicing while my flat mates slept. When I
went home with my musical instrument, my father was furious
because he thought it would be a cause for me to stray and mix
with bad guys, because during those times musicians were not
appreciated much by the community, and if it wasn’t for advise
from my father’s friends he would not let me stay home with my
Ud.
I really didn’t face any difficulties in my career as
such, perhaps it was because I didn’t want fame and did not
play music to be known. In fact when there is audience I
become nervous even today!
Q: How can you describe the
influence of your village and the Yemeni environment on your
songs?
A: In my village I used to hear the chants of the
farmers in their farms and the villagers when they sung on
occasions. All those songs reflected in my conscious and
through them I understood the passions of my people and how
they felt when they were sad or happy, I felt their deepest
desires and despairs. It all remained in my memory as I
composed my songs and re-voiced their emotions throughout my
career. Moreover, since I used to recite Quran in my early
life I got the hang of the linguistics of Arabic and it also
helped soften my sentiments because of the beautiful effect of
Quran on the souls.
Q: Who are the people who left
their mark on your art?
A: There are many people I came in
acquaintance with and who helped me with music. Some of them
are not known at all to the public. Among the people at the
beginning of my career were my brother Mohammed, poet Abdu Ali
Dhubhani, poet Abdulkareem Fareed, poet Abu Jalal Abdulrahman
Subhi, poet Ali saif Ahmd Al-Jaradi and poet Abdulla
Abdulwahhab.
I was supported by many others as well. But I
must say th
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| Mr. Abdulla Abdulwahhab
Noman | | at
my best songs were those produced when I worked with Al-Fadool
whose poems I sang even before meeting him. And then it seemed
as a twist of fate and as if we were destined to work
together. He used to say: where were you all this time? And I
used to say to him that he was the poet I was looking for. I
remember him all the time and I pray for his soul to rest in
peace in heaven.
Q: What about your shift to religious
songs and melodies?
A: The two songs “Juriht Walakin” (I
was wounded but…) and “Jala’ Al-Qalb” (Clarity of the Heart)
came as a balsam for my wound. I feel that religious songs
give me peace of heart and mind. My song was in praise for
Prophet Mohammed (mpbh) and as I was convinced to publish my
other songs in the beginning, now I am more convinced on the
types of songs I will publish now, for no matter how mature I
become, I will never be able to exceed the prophet’s guidance.
Yet I also sang for the people songs like “come back to your
land”, “You who went far away”, “Even time sang for Sana’a”
and others. I admire these songs even more nowadays because I
have gone deeper in their meanings and found the true essence
of their words. I found solace in poetry of Shiek Ahmed Bin
Alwan -mercy be upon his soul- and I am trying to compose my
own pieces, although I would consider them modest attempts to
create something that would bring me closer to God and his
prophet and bring good to the people.
Q: Why have you
chosen Al-Junaid as a refuge for your soul and which you visit
every Thursday?
A: One is gathered on the day of
resurrection with whom he loves, and I wish to be gathered
with him. In his home there is a spiritual sense that is not
found elsewhere and remembrance of God, which is good
especially on Fridays which are said –as told by prophet
(mpbh)- to be blessed day. Moreover, we discuss intellectual
topics and spiritual issues and we come closer to our prophet
whom I love dearly.
Q: So what do you think of the new
Islamic trend of singing, namely “Anasheed” that is said to be
permitted in Islamic Sharia “Halal” and substitutes for
regular songs and music?
A: Our religion says that
everything that adds beauty to voice and allows more enjoyment
in listene
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| Ayoub Tarish with Imad
Al-Saqqaf | | rs
is good as long as it is decent and within respectable
limits.
Q: What do you think about arts of songs and
singing in the Arab world today?
A: Because of the
increasing pressure of today’s life, daily stress is reflected
even on songs and performance so you see songs with very fast
beat and fast rhythm with no attention paid to lyrics and with
no message to be conveyed. Every period has its
characteristics and you can not say this singer or artist is a
replacement of another or is a legacy carrier. But there are
some artists who rise here and there and they still carry
values and missions which they want to fulfill through their
art. But on many occasions, we don’t find such artists receive
attention from authorities and concerned people. As an
example, I find Abdulrahman Al-Amry a promising talent and one
which if encouraged would bloom beautifully.
Q: After
so much giving and a life full of dedication to music, what
can you say now, and will you retire from singing?
A: Well,
to start with, I can’t say that all that I have given is
enough because there is no limit to what a person could give.
Yet, I feel that art with no mission is no art and an artist
has to have a case to fight for and present decent ideas to
the world through his art and music. Songs are part of any
culture and will remain there as an inheritance from one
generation to another.
As for retiring, actually I did not
announce any of that, but I have reduced my work load and you
can say that I am slowly moving towards retirement because I
feel I won’t be able to give music what it deserves in my age
and conditions. I would rather not perform if I can not live
up to my standards.
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