Upcoming Events!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Abdulhadi Alajmi

Dr. Abdulhadi Alajmi is the vice dean of the College of Arts and a professor of history at Kuwait University. His areas of interest include Umayyad history, the history of women in Islam, orientalism, and Arab and Islamic civilisations-and he has published on each. 

Lecture: Women in Islam as Portrayed in Biographical Sources 

The survey illustrates that exploring the beginnings of Islamic civilization proves that the time of the Prophet included the highest number of women appearing in biographical sources. This makes the Prophet's time the richest in the context of the number of women. That of course can be explained in light of the importance of women as transmitters of religious knowledge and as figures of sacred history in the Prophet's journey. 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Music Circle Concert

Organ Recital: Music Without Borders 

Speaker:  H.E. Yasuyoshi Komizo, Ambassador of Japan to Kuwait

Organ:  Maestro Valentina Maria Baginska 

Cello, presenter, assistant:  Karol Kusmider

Violin:  Takuya Matsunaga 

Upcoming Events!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Ramzi Yassa

Programme: A selection of classical compositions

Mr. Ramzi Yassa is favourite of DAI audiences, having performed in three previous cultural seasons. He is a prize winning pianist and, in 2007, the first Egyptian performer musician to be awarded the French Merit Prize.

He is pianoforte professor at the Ecole Normale de Musique "Alfred Cortot" in Paris.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Book Club

(To find out more about DAI's Book Club, please visit our website)

Hope to see you at the events!

Upcoming Events!

Monday, 14 February, 2011

Anthony Peebles

Music Concert

AnthonyPeebles is an award winning concert pianist whose career was launched in 1971 when he won the BBC Piano Competition with an unanimous vote from the jury. Since then he has maintained a very busy performing career, with a remarkable amount of overseas travel.  

Hope to see you at the events!

Upcoming Events!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Ahmed Sedky

Dr. Ahmed Sedky is an architect, urban management/urban conservation consultant and author. Currently, Dr. Sedky is senior development manager with Midrar Development Management in Jeddah, KSA.

Lecture: Conservation Qualities: Integrity, Authenticity and Sustainability 

When reviewing international conservation charters in this region, it is essential to deal with historical areas as a whole by emphasising the coherent systems dominating any historical urban fabric. Integrity, authenticity and sustainability--these three define environmental qualities should be integrated and dealt with as an inseparable whole. they should be envisaged as principle measures of success for any area conservation scheme essential for balanced living in a historical environment. 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Music Circle Concert

World Music Fusion

Samy Ibrahim Group: presents in this concert a variety of pieces from different continents adapted to be performed by this unique ensemble of variant instruments:

Samy Ibrahim                  violin and piano

Meshaal Jomaa               clarinet

Ahmad Al-Sanea            cello

Ahmad Al-Sharabasi       nay

Abdallah Al-Beloushi      percussion

Abdallah Adnan              percussion

Mohamed Deshty           keyboard

Hope to see you at the events!

Upcoming Events!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Arabic Lecture

(For more info. click on image)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Music Circle Concert 

Yemeni Folklore

Hope to see you at the events!

Upcoming Events!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Efim A. Rezvan

Dr. Prof. Efim A Rezvan is the deputy director of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences and the author of more than 250 research works published in ten languages; including several on Qur'anic studies and Russian-Arab relations.

Lecture: The Account of Two Russian Travelers to Kuwait and Ethiopia

A Russian journalist, Sergey Nikolaevich Syromyatnikov (1860-1934) was sent to Kuwait on a secret mission in 1900. Recently his notes, some related to his mission, were found in a private hiding place.

In 1913 the Saint-Petersburg Kunstkamera Museum provided funds and set goals for celebrated poet Nikolay Gumilyov's journeys to Ethiopia. The poet had brought back not only ethnographic and manuscript collections, but also impressions that inspired a number of poetic works, which are today considered treasures of Russian literature.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Music Circle Concert

Indian Classical Music

Hope to see you at the events!

UPDATED: Upcoming Events!

Monday, December 20, 2010  

Piano Recital

Bartek Rybak

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Music Circle Concert

Al Majd Omani Group
Omani Folklore songs and dance.

Hope to see you at the events!

"Traditional Arab Music for Orchestra"

The crowd on the night of the concert on Monday was nothing like I have seen before. In addition to many of DAI’s friends and members, the crowd consisted mostly of family and friends of the musicians and students performing; as well as teachers and VIPs from the Music Department.

Each audience member received a pamphlet; which gave an introduction to the Music department at the College of Basic Education operated by the Public Authority for Applied Education & Training. The pamphlet also included the program for the night.

The Music department from the College of Basic Education P.A.A.T. was established in 1986. It offers students training in all music styles and genres and graduates will receive a Bachelor in Music Science and Education.

The magnificent performance prepared for Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah was arranged and conducted by the maestro Dr. Abdulla Al-Masry. It combined music from Arab and international work with a “touch of Kuwaiti spirit.” The Arab songs were presented in the form of an orchestra, including western instruments and Arabic instruments; as well as a choir performance. It was a special night because that night was the first night the students performed off campus.

The concert included instrumental pieces, solos sung by students and opera singers Dr. Mahmoud Faraj and Dr. Hanan Al Gundi. Most of the night concentrated on the student choir. There wonderful voices which echoed in the auditorium were expressive and harmonious. The biggest surprise was when Dr. Abdulla Al-Masry explained how the college is segregated and he had to train the women choir and the men choir separately, and that tonight was their first performance together!

With talent like that, Kuwait’s music scene has a bright future.

One of the speakers of the night explained how music is an “international language,” and I couldn’t agree more. The musical performance was enjoyed by Arabic and non-Arabic speakers. You didn’t have to understand the lyrics; the music spoke for itself.

I was proud and honored to have been in the presence of such great young talent from Kuwait.  

Upcoming Events!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Concert: Traditional Arab Music for Orchestra and Chorale

Teachers and students in the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training Department of Music here in Kuwait will perform in a 22 piece orchestra, 19 voice choir, oriental quartet and guest soloists. 

The conductor Dr. Abdallah El-Masri will lead the orchestra in a performance combining classical instruments such as the piano, French horn and cello with traditional Oriental instruments like the oud, nigh, and oriental percussion. 

The "four dozen performers will take the stage to present an evening of traditional oriental music, with just a splash of western composition at the end."

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Samaa Sulaiman 

Music Circle Concert  

(Program for the event)


Hope to see you at the events! 

"Polonia Restituta"

The Polish Independence Day is on the 11^th of November (1918). Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as DAI's Friends all gathered at al-Maidan Cultural Centre to celebrate on Monday the 8^th of November.

The enthusiastic audience looked upon the stage with anticipation waiting to hear music from an organ, a piano, and a choir.

The Polish ambassador HE Janusz Szwedo was the narrator of the musical performance; which took the audience on a journey through Poland's history. The music expressed the misery, suffering and liberty of Poland. With the knowledge of the history of a specific period, as well as an explanation of the song, we experienced the ups and downs of Poland's move towards independence.

Maestro Valentina Maria Baginska performed several impressive organ solos and the exceptional vocalists sung Polish national songs. One of the vocalists, Karol Kusmider performed on the cello accompanied by Maestro Valentina on the organ. We were also treated with a beautiful piano solo by the talented Anna Maria Maszkowska.

Even though the performance was dedicated to Poland, it was celebrated by all nationalities evident by the international vocalist group which consisted of a New Zealander, Venezuelan, Indonesian and several other nationalities. The audience as well was very international.

The concert was enjoyed by everyone including the young girls sitting next to me who waved their arms in the air imitating the conductor!

Maestro Valentina expressed how honored she was to perform on the occasion of Polish Independence Day and how it took her 6 months to prepare and construct this program. It's a challenging task to express the history of a country with music in limited time. But the performance was a night to remember in honor of the Polish Independence Day.

Polonia Restituta. "Poland Reborn"

[Note: I would like to remind attendees to please turn off their cell phones or set them to silent whenever there is a musical performance or lecture at al-Maidan Centre. This concert was unfortunately interrupted four times!]  

Upcoming Events!

Monday, November 8, 2010

"Polish Music Quintet"

Concert: Polonia Restituta (Poland Reborn)

The Embassy of Poland will perform a historical musical production in celebration of the Polish Independence Day (11th November). The musical performance will consist of national songs and classical music from the 13th and 21st century, which reflect on the struggles for freedom and independence of the Polish people. 

The Performers:

H.E. Ambassador of Poland Janusz Szwedo - narrator

Embassy Vocal Ensemble "Polish Singers"

Amani Al-Hajji - soprano

Jumel Trinidad Carvajal -tenor

Anna Maria Maszkowaska - piano

Karol Kusmider - cello

Valentina Maria Baginska - music director, conductor, concert organist 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Book Club

Discussion: Pilgrimage to Mecca

(To find out more about DAI's Book Club please visit our website.)

Hope to see you at the events! 

“18 Strings Harp Guitar”

Cultural Season 16 has already begun! But the first event to be featured on this blog will be the third Music Circle concert of the season; which was on Wednesday November 3^rd.

The performance was titled “18 Strings Harp Guitar” and the musician was Jason Carter. Jason Carter first picked up the guitar at the age of 5 and started playing the harp guitar at 18. He composes his own music and each song expresses experiences from his travels. Jason had visited Kuwait before and loves to interact with local musicians wherever he goes.

As he stepped on to the stage, the audience was eager and excited to see him play this interesting instrument. Before starting his performance he gave the audience an introduction to the harp guitar.

Harp Guitar is a 300 year old instrument. No music was written for this instrument so every one who played it was able to perform in their own way producing their own unique sound. Jason’s own guitar is a travelling harp guitar from Portugal and it can be taken apart. An original harp guitar would be much bigger than his travel size.

Jason’s choice of songs came from his travels to places such as Estonia, North Korea, and Finland. Each piece allowed the audience to enter a sort of trance. The music took everyone to a different place and time. For a moment, you forget the worries of life and the city outside, and it’s just the audience and the music flowing in the room.

Jason performed 4 songs then was joined by Ali Akbar, a local musician playing traditional Iranian instruments. The first time they played together was the day before the performance! You wouldn’t be able to tell because they played so well together and their different instruments created such beautiful melodies. The last piece played by Jason and Ali was called “Fusion.” It was composed in Kuwait the day before the performance.

The concert was very enjoyable as well as peaceful and meditative. Jason Carter took the audience back in time to where he wrote each song, by sharing a short story from his travels related to each piece. They were often humorous; especially of his bizarre encounters in North Korea.

Jason Carter ended the night by explaining how much he loves music because “music is very powerful, it gives the freedom to think and dream.”

Of course Jason and Ali received a standing ovation, where then the audience rushed to buy a copy of Jason Carter’s album being sold at the DAI store.