Rabih Abou–Khalil, a Lebanese composer and oud player, is also known as Rabih Abou–Khalil. He sometimes plays the flute. He often mixes traditional Arab music with Turkish music, and has worked with musicians from both the Turkish and Arab musical traditions as well as a wide range of Western jazz musicians. Rabih Abou–Khalil was born in Beirut, and moved to Munich in Germany in the civil war of 1978. He learned to play the oud (a fretless, fretless string instrument similar to the European or Greek bouzouki) from an early age. Georges Farah, an oud virtuoso, taught him at the Beirut conservatory. He studied classical flute under Walther Theurer at the Academy of Music, Munich after he moved to Germany. He often mixes traditional Arab music with jazz and has been praised as “a world musician long before the phrase was a term” (John Fordham Guardian 2002). He was a pioneer in promoting the oud as an instrument of “world jazz” and other eclectic sounds. Abou-Khalil, his associates are creating an international platform for improvised musical music that is comparable to John McLaughlin’s Shakti. Abou-Khalil’s live performances and art are infused with humor. Many compositions were inspired by funny stories. One common theme is the absurdity that “commuting between culture” can lead to. The CDs of Rabih Abou–Khalil are notable for their beautiful covers featuring Arabic art. You can also submit user-contributed text under the Creative Commons By–SA License.
