RIYADH: Saudi soprano Reemaz Okubi recently mesmerized audiences around the world with her voice as the Saudi National Orchestra and Chorus took the world-famous Metropolitan Opera House in New York City by storm.
After vocal rehearsals, calming exercises, and sips of hot tea, there was only silence as the ensemble ushered in the historic moment.
Okubi told Arab News: “This was definitely one of the highlights of my career…It’s great to be able to come back to the US and showcase something from my country and present on such a huge and prestigious stage like we did. That was it.”
Oqbi has been on stage since he was seven years old. With many years of experience as a singer, she has learned to use classical music as a tool to express herself and build bridges between Saudi Arabia and the world.
“It was such an honor to be on stage and share it with my colleagues. When we finished the concert, everyone felt a sense of euphoria. We thought, “Oh my God, we just did something amazing.” ” Something like that. After all, it is for our country that we always try to present ourselves, our homeland, in the best possible way, with the best possible photos, and authentically. ” she said.
The performance, which took place in September, became a hot topic both in Saudi Arabia and abroad, marking a pivotal moment in Saudi cultural development and exchange.
expensivelight
• Reemaz Okbi’s performance with the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir in New York City this year was a pivotal moment in Saudi cultural development and exchange.
• This soprano and instrumentalist is one of the few Saudis who studied opera.
• Rather than imitate traditional works, Oqbi incorporates classic Arab sounds into Western genres to create unique innovations.
• She also wants to help foster more female talent in the region.
The soprano and instrumentalist is one of the few Saudis who studied opera. A native of Madinah, Okubi spent most of his life in California, attending the Academy of Performing Arts.
She started singing in the school choir and playing the flute in third grade and hasn’t stopped since. After dabbling in her various genres, Oqbi realized that classical music allowed her to express herself best.
“When I was 16 or 17 years old, I thought, “I have the ability to sing classical music, and I have a voice,” so I wanted to develop that ability rather than doing what was trendy or fashionable. ” she said.
The lack of music programs in Saudi Arabia led her to major in music and pursue international relations at the American University of Sharjah. She then accepted a two-year stint with the Firdaus Orchestra, an all-female ensemble led by Dubai Expo, after which she decided to return home.
“It’s one thing to expand your knowledge and experience elsewhere, but it’s another to do the same within the communities you serve and want to expand,” Oqbi explained.
I now have the opportunity to purely do what I love, do it well, and do it, and I can see that in the next generation after me…we What we are building now is not for us.
Reema’s OkubiSaudi opera singer
Classical music, a genre of European origin, has often grown to foster an atmosphere of prestige, with an elitist stigma stemming from Eurocentric beliefs. However, Okubi believes that the genre deserves a place in Arab society as well, and this has gradually become a driving force for her overall.
She said: “When the outside world looks at us, the Saudi community, and says, ‘Oh, they don’t get it,’ or, ‘They don’t get it, that’s Europeans, that doesn’t get it.’ We never want them to say that, it was too sophisticated for them.” Although we know that the majority of the Saudi audience for this type of concert does not have much of a classical music background; I want to change that. ”
Inspired by Arab singers like the iconic Syrian-Egyptian singer Asmahan, Oqbi creates his own innovations by incorporating classic Arab sounds into Western genres rather than imitating traditional songs. is producing.
At one of her recent private shows, she performed “Habanera” from French composer Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen.” She sang her first half in French, but then pivoted from the song’s minor key to maqam, her hijaz, one of the major systems of traditional Arabic. “It’s very fluid. It doesn’t have to be that rigid,” she said.
I now have the opportunity to purely do what I love, do it well, and do it, and I can see that in the next generation after me…we What we are building now is not for us.
Reema’s OkubiSaudi opera singer
The overall Saudi music scene has been stagnant for decades, but is only now gaining momentum thanks to efforts by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and its Music Commission to legitimize it as a viable industry. It is increasing.
Okubi said returning to Riyadh was “the best decision I’ve made in a while.” She is the manager and musician of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir. Excitement wafts through her voice as she talks about the growth of the region’s music scene and the bright future it foresees.
“I now have the opportunity to purely do what I love, do it well, and do it, and I can see that in the next generation after me…if we What we are building now is not for us,” Okubi said.
“How much talent have we lost over the generations? I’m not going to allow talent to be lost again. As long as there’s opportunity, art will exist,” she added. Ta.
She recalled being 7 years old and how easy it was to enroll in a music class and begin her journey. She hopes it applies to everyone with her dreams.
Prefacing his bold achievement, Okubi said he could not have achieved it without the support of his parents. ”
Creative opportunities abound in the region, so Okubi plans next to develop and record music that bridges the gap between Arabic songs and opera specifically for Saudi Arabia. She also wants to help foster more female talent in the region.