Diva: Celebrating Oum Kalthoum

Her fame can be compared to that of Maria Callas: Oum Kalthoum (1904–1975) was arguably the most influential musician of the Arabic world of the 20th century. Her gift was her ability to transport her audience into a kind of trance through phenomenal improvisations. “Diva: Celebrating Oum Kalthoum” is an ode to the heritage of this legendary Egyptian singer and the first project of The Wedding Orchestra for Middle Eastern Music in collaboration with singer and performer Ruth Rosenfeld. The orchestra is an initiative of the director Ariel Efraim Ashbel that brings together professional musicians from all over the world. It aims at strengthening the links between old and new residents of Berlin and establishing an opportunity for performing Middle Eastern music at a high professional level in contexts where it would usually not be heard.