Al-Murshidi’s visit to Paris [Archives:2004/749/Local News]
Samir al Monassar
For Yemen Times
Al-Murshidi, the prominent Yemeni singer is currently in Paris for a concert of Yemenite music in which he is singing the best of his traditional Yemeni songs. The event has been sponsored and organized by the Le Cercle Franco-Yemenite association to promote Yemen-French relations.
Mohamed Murshid Naji, also known as Al Murshidi, is considered one of the greatest musicians of the Arabian peninsula and the master of the Aden singular musical style, one of the four Yemeni traditional musical genres, which include the classical music from Sanaa, the semi classical music from Hadramout, regional music from Lahj, and finally the Adeni music from the 50s.
Al Murshidi is also the symbol of the resistance since he sung for freedom during the British occupation. This popular singer, from a modest family, participated with his own arms (his lute, his voice, and his soul) in the resistance against the occupying British forces.
In musical circles, al Murshidi is famous for his long career, more than half a century, as a composer, and for his fantastic knowledge of Yemeni musical history and styles. He became famous beyond Yemeni frontiers and his songs get performed abroad. Many are inspired by this son of Aden, especially in the Gulf countries, such as the great Saoudian singer, Mohammed Abdou, who performed his songs.
Beside his talent as a musician and composer, Al Murshidi is honoured for his academic knowledge of the Arab music history, especially that of the South of the Arabian Peninsula, and for his input into this knowledge.
Al Murshidi Mohamed Murshid Naji has published specialist four books. One deals with our Yemeni popular songs, another with ancient Yemeni music, a third one with of souvenirs, and the last one deals with history.
He received the compliments of the Oman Minister of Culture, and those of the King of Bahrain. He was also honoured at the Abha Festival in Saudi Arabia in 2002. He has be greeted on Saturday, the 19th June, in Paris at the Insitut du Monde Arabe.
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