London – As the lights dimmed in the Barbican Hall and a hush fell over the crowd, the stage was set not just for a concert, but for a moment of reverence. Enter Naseer Shamma – master of the oud, UNESCO Artist for Peace, and a living bridge between ancient heritage and contemporary expression.
Performing as part of the 2025 Shubbak Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of contemporary Arab culture, Shamma offered London a rare treat: a solo performance, stripped of orchestras and ensembles, yet expansive in spirit and resonance. For an hour and a half, the Iraqi virtuoso held the audience spellbound, navigating the oud with a tenderness that was both intimate and epic in scope.
What made the evening exceptional was not only Shamma’s technical mastery – which was, as expected, extraordinary – but the emotional arc he crafted from the instrument’s depths. From the plaintive tones of a Kurdish lament to the syncopated liveliness of Latin-inflected rhythms, he drew from a wellspring of traditions, each transition seamless, each phrase deeply felt. At moments, the music swelled into complexity so rich and layered that it felt as though an entire ensemble had joined him on stage – only to return suddenly to a single, haunting note that lingered in the air.
The Barbican audience responded with quiet awe, erupting into applause after each piece, clapping rhythmically during the more percussive passages, and even singing softly along when Shamma wove in a well-loved Arabic melody. The hall, often known for its formality, felt transformed – less a concert venue, more a communal gathering steeped in shared memory and feeling.
Highlights included a stirring improvisation that hinted at Indian raga structures, interspersed with Persian intervals, and a flamenco-inspired composition that paid homage to his collaboration in El Cuidado de una esencia. But it was his final piece – a meditative, melancholic offering dedicated to his homeland – that drew the most heartfelt response. A silence settled at the end before applause surged through the hall, prolonged and standing.
Produced by the Barbican in association with MARSM, this concert not only affirmed Shamma’s global stature but underscored the Shubbak Festival’s mission: to present Arab culture not as a monolith, but as a living, evolving constellation of stories, sounds, and spirits.
A solo performance it may have been, but on this night, Naseer Shamma’s oud filled the hall with a chorus of histories, dreams, and enduring hope.