Al Hawanem Performance

Last night there was a very special performance by a group called Al Hawanem. This Mediterranean band played songs from different countries of the Middle East. The instruments consisted of a Kanoon, an Oud, and a Tabla.  One of the women would switch between the Kanoon and a violin. You could tell she played with so much pleasure because she had a smile on here face during the whole performance. Lady Oud played with grace and closed her eyes as the music filled the stage. Don’t even let me talk about the tabla player. She played with such EXTREME passion, beads of sweat rolled down her face as she pounded out the spastic rhythm. During her solo she coasted the crowd into complete silence.

 

After the band finished all of the songs they asked for anyone in the crowd to come up and dance to Chobi. Most of the Iraqi boys and girls came up to dance to the beat they knew so well. This was a real treat for the American campers to see because the boys started to dance in a very interesting way. It was sort of like belly dancing. One of the boys twisted so well I thought he would pop his hip out of place! Everyone in the audience smiled and clapped along with the beat. Seeing how Iraqi boys dance compared to American boys was an intriguing experience.

 

Later after watching the dancing, it inspired the American kids to join the Iraqi kids and show them how their own style of dance was. So by the end of the night no one wanted to go back to his or her cabins.

 

 

Fatima Abdul-Haqq