Omar Almasikh[1] (Arabic: عمر المسيخ; born 1966[2]), better known by his stage name Omar Souleyman (Arabic: عمر سليمان) is a Syrian singer. He began his career in 1994 singing at weddings and has since released numerous records and performed all over the world. He produces a modernized version of the traditional dabke.
Early life
Omar Souleyman was born in the village of Ras al-Ayn[3] near the Syria–Turkey border but grew up in the city of Tell Tamer.[4] He started his career as a part-time wedding singer in his native al-Hasakah Governorate, and while he is a SunniArab, he emphasises the influence its culturally diverse milieu has had on his style:
"My music is from the community I come from – the Arabs, the Kurds, the Assyrians, they're all in this community. Even Turkish because it's so near, it's just across the border. And even Iraqi."[5]
Career
Omar Souleyman began his career in 1994, working with a number of musicians with whom he still performs. Although over 500 albums have been released under his name, the vast majority of these albums are recordings made at weddings and given as gifts to the married couple, which are then copied and sold at local kiosks.[6]
His music is characterized by his blend of Middle Eastern melodies with ululating keyboards, electronic beats and throaty vocals.[7]
In 2011 he recorded three remixes for Björk's Biophilia, all found on the second disc of her "Crystalline Series".
In 2013 he worked with British producer Four Tet on his album Wenu Wenu. He collaborated with Four Tet again on his 2015 release Bahdeni Nami.
In August 2013, before his performance at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, Swedish authorities initially denied his artist visa out of concern that he would request asylum. His visa was granted two days before the festival.[11] In December 2013, he performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.[12]
In June 2014 he performed at The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. In July he performed at Roskilde Festival, Denmark and at the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival, in Birmingham, UK. He then performed at One Love Festival in Istanbul on 16 June 2014.[13] In August 2014 he performed at Pukkelpop Festival in Kiewit, Hasselt in Belgium.[14] Later that summer on 31 August he played the Electric Picnic festival in Ireland.[15] He also played at Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho in March 2015.[16] In October 2017 he performed at Bristol's SimpleThings festival.
Personal life
Souleyman has been living in Turkey since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, which heavily impacted his home region.[17] While in Turkey, Souleyman established a free bakery in the border town of Akçakale, in order to serve poor families from Turkey and Syrian refugees. In November 2021, he was arrested on charges of terrorism, over reports that he had recently travelled back to an area of Syria controlled by the PKK's Syrian affiliate, the YPG.[18] Souleyman was released two days later.[19]
He is self-describedly "not into politics" and "[doesn't] know any solution" for the Syrian civil war.[5]
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