Yes… yes! That’s it, music composer Abdel-Monem Saeid shouted at the end of a musical composition his band Yorka tried out last week during a five-hour rehearsal.
“How about we try it in a different key, a player asked Saeid, who nodded in accord. Another overzealous musician suggested a different approach.
After extensive mulling and deliberations, members of the band agreed on an approach that satisfied everyone.
The recently revived group blends two seemingly different music genres, a formula that is currently popular. To create the sound of Yorka, Saeid decided to arrange Andalusian music and Algerian tempos using methods common in classical music genres.
Saeid experimented with different sounds and ideas for years until he reached this distinctive fusion he proudly calls his own.
“My goal has always been to create a musical dialogue between oriental and classical music, the Algerian-Egyptian musician reflected.
Piano, percussions, guitar and other string instruments represent an integral part of Saeid’s music. Among the best pieces showcased at last Saturday’s concert at El Sawy Cultural Wheel were “Malaga, “Sheta Lebnan (Lebanon’s Winter), “Fantasy, “Asheq (In Love) and “Ghorba (Estrangement).
Saeid recalls his lengthy struggle to have his music heard by a wider audience, and for more than seven years, he was faced with rejection by mainstream music producers. “I received negative feedback when I introduced my album to music producers, he said.
“One well-known producer told me he could not compromise his so-called reputation and release a CD that may remain unsold on the shelves of music stores.
The problem with audiences and producers, says Saeid, is both still can’t grasp or accept instrumental music played with no vocals.
“People are mainly interested in commercial singers, their video clips, what they wear or whether that female singer has had plastic surgery rather than artistic merit, he said sarcastically.
“I spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on my concerts and album with no return. I don’t think any other composer is ready to sacrifice that much for the sake of his art.
Saeid’s Algerian heritage was one of the aspects that attracted him to the Andalusian civilization.
“The countries of the North African Al Maghreb Al Arabi (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) still preserve the Andalusia legacy because at one point in history, they were very close to the Spanish and Andalusian culture, Saeid explained.
“The Spanish Flamenco itself is the result of a mix between the Andalusian music of Arabs and that of the gypsies, 30-year-old guitarist and composer Ali Khattab said.
Khattab was the first to join Yorka, eventually adding his flamenco sounds to the band’s performances.
Saeid hopes to revive Andalusia’s musical heritage via an innovative, contemporary context. “We began from where our ancestors ended, he reflected.
His passion for piano began at the age of six, when he began to observe his older sister during her music lessons with a French nun. He then started taking lessons with the same tutor.
“The piano has always been my best friend for the past 30 years, said the 37-year-old musician.
Saeid got his BA in music composition and piano from the Cairo Conservatoire in 1997. He founded the Yorka project in 1999, basing the band on a concept of teamwork. In 2001, the group gave its first concert at the Cairo Opera House to an enthusiastic audience.
After a two-year absence, and despite all obstacles, Saeid decided to get Yorka back together and return to the stage. Their comeback gig at El Sawy was well-received by loyal fans and new audiences alike.
“We have resumed our journey and nothing is going to stop us from realizing our target, he concluded.
