Much of the world's scientific understanding of music comes from the Ancient Greeks (the word "music" comes from the Greek word mousiki, the science of composing melodies). ![]() "I want to create a world of music exceptionally satisfying to the ear and for the soul," says Shaheen, "This is why I selected members for Qantara who are all virtuosos in their own musical forms, and whose expertise and knowledge can raise the music and the group's performance to spectacular levels." The band, whose name means "arch" in Arabic, brings to life Shaheen's fusion of Arab, jazz, Western classical, and Latin American music. Shaheen has recorded several albums with his musical group, Qantara. Today, Shaheen also produces annual festivals and retreats to promote Arabic arts. In 1982, Shaheen formed the Near Eastern Music Ensemble in New York and established a series of Arab music workshops and lectures for schools. "When I held and played these instruments, they felt like an extension of my arms." He began playing the oud at age five, and studied violin at the Concervatory for Western Classical Music in Jerusalem. "Learning to play on the oud from my fatehr was the most powerful influence in my musical life," Shaheen recalls. Shaheen's father was a professor of music and a master oud player. ![]() Simon Shaheen is a musician who performs and composes music that reflects traditional Arabic culture while embracing modern jazz and classical styles of the Western World.
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