Al-Kindi Ensemble
The story of the Al-Kindi Ensemble, one of the finest Arabic classical-music groups, starts in Paris in 1953, when Julien Weiss was born. A person of Swiss and Alsatian heritage, Weiss grew into a classically trained guitarist, and 23 years later he chanced upon a recording of Iraqi oud master Mounir Bashir and his life changed direction, almost instantly. Weiss recognized classical Arabic music as "highly intellectual … scientific, but with a spirit," and a journey started for the musician, through Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia and Turkey, until he finally settled in Aleppo, the capital of the northern part of Syria. He also changed instruments, from the guitar not to the oud—which might have been the obvious progression—but rather the greater complexity of the qanoun (Arabic zither). Having converted to Islam, learned Arabic and adopted the name Jalal Eddine, he bought and refurbished a 16th-century Mamluk palace in the historical part of town that he has converted into a salon de musique and the base for the Al-Kindi Ensemble, which he founded in 1983. In addition to leading his group, Weiss performs as a soloist and accompanist.
The Al-Kindi Ensemble has the structure of a takht sharqi (traditional oriental ensemble), composed of qânun, oud, ney and riqq. An important element of the ensemble's performances is the zikr (evocation), in which repeated utterances of the name of God become a transformative and sublime experience. Associated with this ritual is the inclusion of Sufi dancers (whirling dervishes), living links to a mystical musical tradition. Although the dervish dance is frequently associated with Turkey—where it is outlawed as a religious ritual—local traditions have been in existence in Syria since the 16th century.
Weiss has surrounded himself with the finest players available: Ziyâd Qâdî Amin, a flutist from Damascus, considered to be the best exponent of the ney (reed flute) in Syria; Muhammad Qadri Dalal, a master of the oud; and Adel Shams Eddine, master of the most complex rhythmic cycles on the riqq (tambourine) and one of the Al-Kindi Ensemble's mainstay musicians. The featured vocalists vary, but here are two of the most notable: Sheikh Hamza Shakkur, munshid of the Great Ummayad Mosque of Damascus and one of the finest liturgical singers in the near East, has a deep, rounded voice; and Sheikh Habboush, whose voice has an blend of divine finesse and rich earthiness. Habboush has a zawiya in the old city of Aleppo where every Wednesday night followers gather to take part in the zikr. —Tom Jackson