{"id":99576,"date":"2025-11-14T09:49:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T08:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/?p=99576"},"modified":"2025-11-16T13:50:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T12:50:06","slug":"marmoucha-orchestra-presenteert-the-phonograph-changed-me-50-jaar-na-umm-kulthum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2025\/11\/marmoucha-orchestra-presenteert-the-phonograph-changed-me-50-jaar-na-umm-kulthum\/","title":{"rendered":"Marmoucha Orchestra presents \u201cThe Phonograph Changed Me\u201d - 50 years after Umm Kulthum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fifty years after her death, Marmoucha Orchestra honours the legendary Umm Kulthum, \u201cthe Star of the East,\u201d with the multimedia performance The Phonograph Changed Me<\/em>. Directed by Toni Geitani and Arin Keshishi, it highlights her early life and artistic formation, including the voice of Mireille Bittar, live electronics, visuals with voice-over by Omnia Najm and the full Marmoucha Orchestra. Inspired by Umm's statement \u201cthe phonograph changed me\u201d, the performance forms a sensory journey through sound, image and memory: a contemporary ode to a woman who continues to inspire generations. To be seen on 6 December at Podium Moza\u00efek in Amsterdam<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Voice of the East lives on<\/h2>\n

The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Umm Kulthum's death. The Star of the East<\/em> inspired generations and is still a source of nostalgia for millions of people of Arab descent. Who did not grow up listening to her voice? Umm Kulthum, the peerless Egyptian star also known as The Fourth Pyramid<\/em>, managed to touch millions of hearts as the iconic face of pan-Arabism. Her voice reverberated through the airwaves via Radio Cairo, which symbolised Arab pride and belonging in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Although the dream of a united Arab world has faded over time, Umm Kulthum's music lives on as a shared cultural heritage and an enduring unifying force.<\/p>\n

A new light on an icon<\/h2>\n

In honour of this legendary singer, Marmoucha Orchestra presents the multimedia performance The Phonograph Changed Me<\/em>, a special tribute that highlights the lesser-known sides of Umm Kulthum's life and artistic vision. Many orchestras and musicians are paying tribute to this legendary singer this year, but Marmoucha takes a different angle: an intimate journey into her childhood and the inspirations that helped her grow into the Star of the East<\/em>. Her statement \u201cthe phonograph changed me\u201d<\/em> forms the core of this production. The advent of the phonograph changed not only her career, but also her self-image and her relationship to audiences, sound and time. From intimate performances in her youth to the groundbreaking steps that made her a world star, Investigates The Phonograph Changed Me<\/em> the music, choices and influences that shaped her artistic identity.<\/p>\n

Toni Geitani's vision<\/h2>\n

Led by project leader and director Toni Geitani and artistic director Arin Keshishi, Marmoucha Orchestra presents a sensory performance that brings together music, images and voice. Geitani's visuals sketch the world Umm grew up in, while Omnia Najm's voice-over brings her words and thoughts to life. Geitani says his fascination began with that one sentence:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat fascinated me most in my study of her was that she said the phonograph had changed her, and I really wanted to understand what she meant by that. I thought it would be interesting to build a narrative about how very small things and sonic elements shaped her into who she became.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the performance, Geitani weaves image, sound and voice into a cinematic experience that blurs the line between concert and performance. His approach is not purely biographical but poetic: he tries to get to the essence of Umm Kulthum by making her repertoire, her story and her inspirations resonate anew in a contemporary form.<\/p>\n

The voice of Mireille Bittar<\/h2>\n

Dutch-Syrian soprano Mireille Bittar interprets Umm Kulthum's early repertoire with an intense, personal commitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis production touches something very personal in me. Umm Kulthum's music was always a part of my life, whether it was at home, on the radio, or woven into the memories that shaped me. Her voice carries not just melodies, but emotions, power and a sense of connection that transcends boundaries. Working with the Marmoucha Orchestra on this project offers me the chance to reconnect with that part of my heritage, not just as a singer, but as someone deeply connected to both Arab and Western cultures. It feels like it has now come full circle: honouring where I come from, while sharing that journey with a new audience.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many in the party recognise the feeling Mireille describes: Umm Kulthum as a symbol of remembrance, pride and emotional connection.<\/p>\n

An ode with new sounds<\/h2>\n

Spanish oboist and arranger Maripepa Contreras calls the performance a tribute with a contemporary sound:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe use live electronics, we have a string quartet, flute and oboe, a rhythm section; we play many different styles, but all with original songs by Umm Kulthum.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Maripepa carefully studied the music of Umm Kulthum to write the ornaments, which she describes as \u201cthe sound between the notes\u201d. The arrangements range from classical to jazzy and sometimes explicitly traditional, but always with respect for the original sound world.<\/p>\n

Arin Keshishi's artistic approach<\/h2>\n

Arin Keshishi, artistic director of Marmoucha Orchestra, stresses that the performance is not about nostalgia, but about innovation:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe especially wanted to highlight the lesser-known aspects of her life: the very moments that are often defining in being an artist. What influenced her at the beginning of her career, and what drove her in a particular direction? Such questions play an important role in our approach. Artistically, we do what we always do as Marmoucha Orchestra: we reform, reinterpret and bring our own sound. We create a diverse mix of Western and Arabic music, always with great respect for tradition, but with the ambition to give birth to something new.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A living legacy<\/h2>\n

The Phonograph Changed Me<\/em> is thus much more than a tribute. It is an artistic exploration of sound, identity and culture. The performance constitutes a journey through a crucial period in Arab and world music history, in which Umm Kulthum's exceptional vision and voice still resonate. The Phonograph Changed Me<\/em> is an invitation to the Star of the East<\/em> relive, in a light that is as modern as it is timeless. The first performance of this show took place at the sold-out premiere of the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival on 28 May last and was received with great acclaim.<\/p>\n

On 6 December next, there will be another chance to experience this unique production. Book your tickets now on the Podium Moza\u00efek website<\/a>.<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fifty years after her death, Marmoucha Orchestra honours the legendary Umm Kulthum, the 'Star of the East', with the multimedia performance The Phonograph Changed Me. Conducted by Toni Geitani and Arin Keshishi, it highlights her early life and artistic formation, with the voice of Mireille Bittar and musical arrangements by Maripepa Contreras. Inspired by Umm's statement \u201cthe phonograph changed me\u201d, the performance forms a sensory journey through sound, image and memory: a contemporary ode to a woman who continues to inspire generations.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":99655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","wpai_meta_description":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4760,11917,8843],"tags":[15493],"class_list":["post-99576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-muziek-podiumkunst-2","category-persberichten","category-podiumkunst","tag-marmoucha"],"views":981,"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/horizontaal-zonder-tekst.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":112939,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/05\/marmoucha-orchestra-maripepa-contreras-presenteren-sexi-firmum-iulium\/","url_meta":{"origin":99576,"position":0},"title":"Marmoucha Orchestra & Maripepa Contreras present Sexi Firmum Iulium","author":"Marmoucha","date":"28 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On Sunday 7 June, Sexi Firmum Iulium, the new production by the Marmoucha Orchestra conducted by jazz oboist, arranger and artistic coordinator Maripepa Contreras, will premiere at Amare in The Hague. 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