Graduation of the first batch of the Oud Industry Department
Polished sticks and vibrant wooden colors hung on the walls of the Oud House in Khartoum, with the text: "Made in Sudan" printed close by - a phrase full of pride and achievement that tells the story of two students: Muhammad Qasim Al-Sayed and Mustafa Abdel Moneim Dafa Allah, the first luthiers to be produced by Sudan, professional lute makers after a year-long of extensive training under the supervision of one of the most skilled oud makers in the world, Mr. Yroub Mohamed Fadel.
On this unprecedented occasion, on the 5th of March 2021, the Oud House (Bait al Oud) of Sudan celebrated a beautiful musical presentation in which the pieces were distributed among the professors of the Oud House and its students. The professors greeted their teacher, the renowned musician Naseer Shamma, by playing one fo his own compositions: "From the Memory", decorating the stage with thirteen students, all in their hands their own Oud instruments. To draw in the minds of the audience and their musical taste "The Green Meadows", by Musician Barai Muhammad Dafa Allah was performed by the students, then a greeting from the students following the teachers hosting Shamma, the global founder of the Oud House, Sudan is now the fifth country to produce a home for the musical institute. The students went on to perform another composition by Shamma: "Illuminated Path" representing the light that has been shone over the cultural and educational sectors of Sudan.
The night did not end there, Qanun instrument students took to the stage after an absence of sixty years and released the immortal melody of the poet Omar Al-Banna, "In Your Love Oh Jameel", signed in the name of the first batch of graduates in the Oud House having taken on learning of the Qanun instrument.
A committee made up of top musicians includes Dr. Al-Mahi Suleiman, d. Al-Fateh Hussein, d. Kamal Youssef and Prof. Amr Fawzi - as a visiting professor from the Bait Al Oud workshop in Abu Dhabi - examined the craftsmanship of the freshly manufactured instruments, and awarded the trainee students an above satisfactory grade. The attendees celebrated them, led by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Information, Mr. Al Rasheed Saeed.
Then he addressed the audience with alongside musician Naseer Shamma, expressing his desire to establish a real industry with above average quality that would qualify the Sudanese manufacturer to occupy his place alongside the most skilled oud makers in the world and for Sudan to be part of the musical movement in all its artistic and performance aspects and even at the industry level, which is what the Oud House project ultimately aims to establish .
Naseer Shamma concluded the ceremony by saying, "The Oud House of Khartoum qualifies to be a regional center for Africa."
Sources: The Oud House, Khartoum - shammamusic.com
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