With a striking figure, oversized sunglasses and mustache, jalabiya and keffiyeh, prolific Syrian wedding singer Omar Souleyman has been taking the west by storm. A famous Syrian expat who started his impressive career trajectory as a wedding singer in 1994 in Syria, Souleyman, was introduced to the west four years ago, before civil war broke out in Syria.
His music is an mixture of dabke, the genre of Syrian dance-pop, and electronic songs. Western crowds often go wild during his live concerts, even though they have no clue what he is saying. His uniqueness comes from his ability to mix Kurdish, Ashuris music, Arabic music — and lately Turkish music.
His unique stage presence is part of his appeal. He stalks the stage in his trademark shades, clapping along to the beats and occasionally high-fiving the crowd, some consider him as one of the coolest men on the planet. Playing romantic and love songs for married couples, his band has been performing across Europe, Australia and the United States.
In 2013, he performed live at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. Given all this, it is safe to say that Souleyman has performed everywhere in the world, from Belgium to Bonnarro.
In his most recent album – titled “To Syria with Love“- he dedicates all of his songs to his family members, friends and country men. He takes the plight of his people straight to God, and speaks for displaced Syrians everywhere. It is not a political album, rather it is an album which expresses his emotional connection to his land and to his people.
