Mustafa Said Live at the Edinburgh International Festival

Mustafa Said Live at the Edinburgh International Festival

Born in Cairo, singer, instrumentalist, musicologist and composer Mustafa Said won the inaugural Aga Khan Music Award in 2019. Alongside his vocal skills, he is also a virtuoso performer on the lute-like oud, an instrument found right across the Middle East. He has released four albums of traditional and contemporary music, as well as writing extensively for theatre, dance and film. His performance blends music and documentary in a rich exploration of the musical traditions of Egypt and the Levant.

Mustafa Said Oud and Vocals


Executive Producer
Fairouz Nishanova

Camera
Conor Reilly,
Lewis Raeburn & Mauro Silva

Sound Mixing
Jean Madani


Director & Editor
Mauro Matos e Silva



Track List:
1: Pishrou (instrumental): came with the Persian Musicians who served in Sultan Sulaiman, the Ottoman. It was documented alphabetically. It seems that it was performed during the Shah Rukh days in Harat (in Afghanistan nowadays). It traveled to many places. It was told, accourding to Yousef Ebn Taghribardi, that it came to cairo with several works that was taught by Abd ElQader Ebn Ghaibi AlMaraghi to his students. So, maybe it was composed in the 14th century or the 15th.

2: Qawl: Ya Malikan Behe Yatibu Zamani. It was written in (Durrat AlTaj) by Qutb ElDin ElShirazi, ends of the 13th century. He tells that it is one of Safeyy ElDin ElUrmawi ElBaghdadi's commpositions. So, it seems it was composed in the middle of the 13th century.

3: Taqsim (Instrumental improvisation), Qasidah (zedni BeFart ElHubb) Poetry: Omar Ebn ElFared, 13th century.

4: Lahn Dulab Muhayyar (Instrumental): maybe from the 17th or beginning of the 18th century. Kept in Cairo.

5: Lahn Muhayyar. Documented in (Alresalah AlShehabeyyah) Mkhayel Mashshaqah, Dair ElQamar, Mount Lebanon 1840.

6: Muwashshah (Mahboubi Talab Nakadi) 18th century.

7: Taqsim Layalli (instrumental and vocal sylabic improvisation), Mawwal (Wehaqq ya Badr): Lyrics in Cairo Dylict, 16th or beginning of 17th Cyntury. Melody is improvised keeping the spirit of the period.
8: Dawr (ElHelw Lamma EnAataf) ElShaikh Mohammad Abd ElRahim. Documented in the Khedive cort program in the 1960s.

Composed by Mustafa Said

9: No form (Instrumental.

10: Dobait (Ahwa Rashán) poetry of Omar Ebn ElFared..

11: Taqsim then Qasidah Mursalah: (Ya Saqeyayy) poetry of Abu ElTayyeb ElMutanabbi: 10th century.

12: Sawt Murakkab: (Kam Aallam AlBain) poetry: Abu ElTayyeb ElMutanabbi.