Reviewed on Friday January 16 (photo by Prudence Upton)
Music is the language of us all. It’s been reiterated to the point of cliché, but it’s something that gets proven time and time again – especially when it’s Sydney Festival season. Acts that normally exist on the fringe and would not normally find acceptance from a wider audience strike a chord and enter into a spectrum in which they are revered and admired. This much is true of Omar Souleyman, the Syrian performer who stands as one of the most peculiar and intriguing acts of the entire festival. An artist initially only known for performing at weddings, here he finds himself in a room full of adoring, borderline hysterical fans. The audience across the entire room is spread – ages, races, demographics – with the front few rows taken up by the diehards who have clearly been to their fair share of Souleyman performances over the years. Some reach out to touch his hand, as if he were some kind of Elvis-type figure. Others even dressed like him, or hold up photos bearing his face as if he were some kind of Jesus-type figure. All of us are brought together by this inimitable performance, combining the sounds of his nation and heritage with booming, four-on-the-floor electronic beats.
The only words of English, either spoken or sung, are the phrases “thank you” and “one more” from Souleyman himself. He sings and occasionally toasts over his extensive, sprawling songs – which often go on past the ten-minute mark – in both Arabic and Kurdish tongue. Although many within the crowd share some degree of heritage with Souleyman, there were many more that do not, and potentially don’t understand a single lyric. This just goes to further iterate the point that there are no boundaries in this world – only joyful dance.
