Libyan and Italian music concert in Tripoli next week

Tripoli, 16 November:

Next Friday a ground-breaking concert of music from two shores of the Mediterranean will be performed at Tripoli’s Al Waddan hotel to celebrate the reopening of the Italian Cultural Institute.

Two quintets, one from Libya and one from Italy, will take part in what is being billed as “a multicultural spectacular event” of world music. The quintets will perform individually and then together for the grand finale of the ‘Officina Mediterraneo’ (‘Mediterranean Workshop’) concert organised by the Italian Cultural Institute.

‘The Libyan Group’, a well-known traditional instrumental band, will open the concert giving their interpretations of the classical heritage of Libyan music. The Libyan Group is made up of Abdul Razzag Al Fahd on the violin, Hisham Bakkay on the qanun and Habib Trabilsi on the ney. Mahmoud Maatug will be playing the riq and goblet drum with Mohamed Al Musciat at the keyboard.

Italy’s ‘Opera Quintet’ is a versatile ensemble, whose repertoire ranges from instrumental world music to jazz and contemporary styles. The quintet consists of Luigi Cinque on the saxophone and live electronics, Sal Bonafede on the keyboards and Gabriele Mirabassi on the clarinet, with singers Lucilla Galeazzi and Maria Pia De Vito. Mahmoud Maatug will be providing additional percussion.

The concert’s sound engineer will be the Sicilian, Michele Russotto, who has worked extensively in collaboration with the most influential promoter of world music, Peter Gabriel.

The Italian Cultural Institute was founded in 1963 to support and promote dialogue between Libya and Italy. The institute, which has recently moved to new premises in Nufleen, organises cultural events and run Italian language courses.

The concert will begin at 7.30pm on 23 November in Leptis Hall at Tripoli’s Al Waddan Hotel.

For more details see: www.iictripoli.esteri.it