Naseer Shamma… Embodying the Authentic Melody of the East
The moment the strings of Naseer Shamma’s oud resonate, new horizons open in human dimensions and cosmic vision.
By Donia Sahib – Iraq
The world-renowned musician Naseer Shamma represents a model of an artist who masterfully blends authenticity with innovation. He has restored the historical soul of the Arabic oud, infusing it with a philosophical and humanitarian dimension that transforms his music into a universal language—one that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries to become a living bridge between the heritage of the East and the spirit of the modern era. His artistic project is not merely musical performance; it is a comprehensive cosmic vision, presenting a musical paradigm that awakens human intellectual awareness, recalls the roots of Arab and Islamic civilization, and affirms cultural identity in an age of globalization and cultural fusion, without severing the connection to our Arab-Islamic heritage.
Naseer Shamma’s oud transforms from a mere musical instrument into a mirror of the soul, a vessel carrying the memory of Eastern artistic traditions, the sounds of cities and markets, the echoes of rivers, deserts, and oases, and the fragrance of orchards from Iraq and the Arab world. Each composition becomes a spiritual journey, transporting the listener from the external to the internal, from form to essence, immersing them in a musical experience that leads to contemplation of the realms of beauty, surpassing the superficial to touch the unity of existence. A note, when born from the mirror of the soul, harmonizes simultaneously with the fabric of the soul and the cosmos.
The authenticity of Iraqi and Arab Eastern heritage in Shamma’s work interacts seamlessly with modernization. He reinterprets maqamat (melodic modes) and rhythms with a musical and lyrical touch imbued with spirituality, filling the listener’s inner void and nurturing the soul with his melodies. Philosophy flows through his veins in the alphabet of Eastern notes, capable of speaking to the human heart across time and space. This ability to fuse roots and innovation has earned him the title of the “Composer of the Spirit of the East.” His music does not merely renew the past but becomes a living bridge connecting past, present, and future, a musical philosophy that transcends performance to reflect upon the nature of sound and melody. Each note becomes a spiritual energy and emotional state, refining the soul and elevating it to sublime spiritual dimensions beyond the lower, mundane realm. It cultivates refined taste, opens the doors of wisdom, and transforms music into a dialogue between conscious and subconscious mind, guiding the listener from sensation to true meaning and beyond the physical body by sensing the energy of the soul’s emotions while playing.
His celestial compositions engage the soul in an inner dialogue, inviting awakening from spiritual slumber, particularly through devotional suites of divine love performed during the sacred nights of Ramadan.
In his compositions, especially those suffused with divine love and devotion to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), there is a unique balancing energy that rises through the fabric of the cosmos, restoring harmony between human sounds and the profound cosmic rhythm, in the language of the unity of existence with the Creator. For him, a note is not merely a sound; it is a mirror reflecting the universal unity between the servant and the Lord, demonstrating how human creativity can align with cosmic and divine order to ascend toward sainthood. Music becomes a spiritual act, a devotional interaction linking harmony with the emotional heart toward the Divine through his performances, rearranging the essence of sounds, tones, and melodies within a cosmic consonance that mirrors the wisdom of the Creator inspiring the servant with divine capacity to distribute it across life.
For Naseer Shamma, art is not a luxury but a message. He channels his music toward humanitarian and cultural causes, transforming his oud into a voice of peace, and his artistic project into a beacon for the convergence of global cultures, inspiring enlightened wisdom. In this way, authenticity in his work becomes an exceptional civilizational act, not mere slogans or empty nostalgic chants. He embodies, through his musical and human journey, the authentic melody of the East in its highest form: deeply rooted in the spirit of Arab and Islamic civilization, yet reaching toward expansive global horizons. His sound becomes a bridge between human hearts, and the melodies of his oud transform into a philosophy accessible to those attuned to the Sufi-Islamic doctrine of the unity of existence
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