Omar Souleyman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Omar Souleyman |
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Omar Souleyman performing at Perth International Arts Festival in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Omar Almasikh |
| Also known as | Omar Souleyman |
| Born | 1966 Ras al-Ayn, al-Hasakah, Syria |
| Origin | Tell Tamer, al-Hasakah, Syria |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels |
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Omar Almasikh (Arabic: عمر المسيخ; born 1966), known as Omar Souleyman (عمر سليمان), is a famous Syrian singer. He started his music journey in 1994. He became well-known for singing at weddings. Since then, he has released many albums and performed around the world. His music is a modern take on traditional dabke music.
Contents
Early Life and Music Roots
Omar Souleyman was born in a village called Ras al-Ayn. This village is close to the Syria–Turkey border. He grew up in the city of Tell Tamer. He began his career as a part-time singer at weddings. These weddings were in his home area, the al-Hasakah Governorate.
His music style is influenced by the many cultures in his community. These include Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians, and even Turkish and Iraqi influences. This mix of cultures makes his music unique.
Music Career
Omar Souleyman started his professional music career in 1994. He worked with several musicians who still perform with him today. He has released many recordings over the years. Most of these were recordings from weddings. They were often given as gifts to the married couple. Later, these recordings were copied and sold in local shops.
His music has a special sound. It mixes traditional Middle Eastern tunes with modern electronic sounds. He uses keyboards that make a wailing sound. He also adds electronic beats and his deep, powerful singing.
In October 2013, he released a new album called Wenu Wenu. This album was put out by a UK music company called Ribbon Music.
Collaborations and Performances
Omar Souleyman has performed at many big music festivals. In 2011, he appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in England. He also performed at Chaos in Tejas in Austin, Texas, and at Paredes de Coura in Portugal.
He has also worked with other famous musicians. In 2011, he created three remixes for Björk's album Biophilia. These remixes can be found on the second disc of her "Crystalline Series." In 2013, he worked with British producer Four Tet on his album Wenu Wenu. They worked together again on his 2015 album, Bahdeni Nami.
In August 2013, he faced a small issue with his travel documents in Sweden. This happened before a performance at the Way Out West festival. Luckily, his visa was approved just two days before the event.
He continued to perform at major festivals. In June 2014, he played at The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee. He also performed at Roskilde Festival in Denmark and at the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival in the UK. Later that summer, he played at Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium and Electric Picnic in Ireland. He also performed at Treefort Music Festival in Idaho in March 2015. In October 2017, he appeared at Bristol's SimpleThings festival.
Personal Life and Community Work
Since 2011, Omar Souleyman has lived in Turkey. This was due to the Syrian civil war affecting his home region. While in Turkey, he started a free bakery in the town of Akçakale. This bakery helps poor families from Turkey and Syrian refugees.
In November 2021, he had a brief legal issue. He was released after two days. Soon after, he moved to Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. He dedicated his 2024 album, named Erbil, to this city.
Omar Souleyman says he is "not into politics." He focuses on his music and helping his community.
Discography
Albums
- 2006: Highway to Hassake (compilation) (Sublime Frequencies)
- 2009: Dabke 2020 (compilation) (Sublime Frequencies)
- 2010: Jazeera Nights (compilation) (Sublime Frequencies)
- 2011: Haflat Gharbia - The Western Concerts (2LP (compilation)) (Sublime Frequencies)
- 2011: Leh Jani (2LP, full-length Syrian tape reissue) (Sham Palace)
- 2013: Wenu Wenu (Ribbon Music)
- 2015: Bahdeni Nami (Monkeytown)
- 2017: To Syria, with Love (Mad Decent)
- 2019: Shlon (Mad Decent)
- 2024: Erbil
See also
In Spanish: Omar Souleyman para niños
