Making Middle Eastern Music
National Arab Orchestra lands spot at Concert of Colors
By John Secor
The National Arab Orchestra (NAO) gears up for the 30th Annual Concert of Colors next month; a free, nine-day global music festival that’s family friendly indoors and outdoors. The concert takes place near the Detroit Institute of Arts, The Arab American National Museum, Orchestra Hall and other Detroit cultural gems. Arab orchestra founder and conductor Michael Ibrahim aims to bridge the Arab and non-Arab world through music.
The NAO does this by speaking to the diversity that lives within the Arab world, a fact that is often glazed over in favor of the stereotypical soundbites one might find when talking about the Arab world. “Being Arab isn’t an ethnicity, it’s a cultural mindset, making a strong case for the Arab world existing as the original melting pot,” said Ibrahim.
For example, within the modern state of Iraq one can find a tremendous amount of diversity exists today, including the Assyrian and Chaldean population that have existed in that region for centuries. This type of diversity adds so much beauty that makes up much of what we know about Iraq today, and the NAO reflects this diversity in its programming throughout the year.
For Ibrahim, his musical journey started when he began taking oud lessons at the age of 10.
Ibrahim founded the orchestra in 2009; it started as a student ensemble at the University of Michigan. After the first concert, the orchestra doubled in size.
After a couple of successful performances, Ibrahim started the nonprofit in the spring of 2010 under the name of the Michigan Arab Orchestra. In 2014, the MAO changed its name after winning a grant from Knight Foundation and became the National Arab Orchestra, making its debut at the Woodruff Arts Center (the symphony hall for the Atlanta orchestra).
Since then, the orchestra has grown and while many of its musicians may be based in Southeastern Michigan, the NAO’s reach is truly national with performances all over the country.
In Southeastern Michigan, Ibrahim points out how well Chaldeans have assimilated into American society. They are business owners, elected officials and, yes, members of the NAO! In fact, the NAO features oudist, Nashwan Fadhel, a Chaldean that lives in Sterling Heights.
The NAO isn’t just enjoying success on the national stage. Its social media presence has been growing at phenomenal rate since the pandemic began, with its YouTube channel garnering over 3 million views a month and with over 350,000 subscribers across all its online platforms.
A milestone in the NAO’s growth is its upcoming collaboration with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Concert of Colors. The NAO will perform July 21 at 6 PM at the DSO Sosnick Courtyard and there are talks of future collaborative projects.
It all comes back to the orchestra working with communities across the country to provide a platform for cultural expression and exchange for the Middle Eastern community while providing opportunities that bridge social and cultural barriers through music.
The 30th Annual Concert of Colors is a free, indoor and outdoor world music festival founded by National Arab National Museum co-founder Ismael Ahmed. It celebrates music from around the world and is held at Detroit’s most prestigious cultural locations. The National Arab Orchestra, presented by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, performs free outdoors at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 21 at the Sosnick Courtyard at the DSO/Orchestra Hall: 51 Parsons St, Detroit, MI 48201. For details visit www.concertofcolors.com