A band from Bulgaria mesmerised Salalah audience with their songs and elegant moves on music. The band came all the way from Bulgaria and brought with them the Irish music and culture. The response from the audience made them “happily tired”, with their requests for more that made the performance continue till late on a pleasant weekend which also marked St Patrick’s Day.
The audience roared into clapping and applause over the band’s soft music and elegant dance moves. Cheer was the call of the evening as it took not much time for the audience to join the band and start singing on various Irish tunes at Al Baleed Resort.
Among the performers were Irish dancers Ralitza and Yavor; Katerina on fiddle, Nikolay on accordion; Zlatil on guitar; and Emanuil on banjo.
Ralitza admitted that she was impressed with rich Omani culture, its heritage and hospitable and friendly people. “We visited the local tourist sites like Wadi Darbat, Samharam Archaeological site and Museum of the Land of Frankincense. We also had a chance to get a glimpse of the rich culture of Oman. We spent some time wandering around the Salalah’s markets and had a chance to meet the local people. We were impressed by how hospitable and friendly people of Oman are,” she said.
Commenting on her band, she said: “We are a Bulgarian band, which is in love with Irish music and culture. We started playing together in 2015 and have had many gigs since then. This is the first time we are playing outside Europe and our first journey to Oman. We weren’t sure what to expect from our audience and hosts, but when we arrived, we were left speechless by the beauty of Salalah and the hospitality of everyone we met at Al Baleed Resort by Anantara,” she said.
She admitted having prepared some jigs and reels accompanied by traditional Irish dances for the day of St Patrick. “The rest of the preparation included a lot of training in the swimming pool and a healthy diet with the delicious cuisine of Sakalan Restaurant. Our guitar player, Zlatil, even went to a local barber shop to get ready for that very special event.”
“We had a great time during our two shows, the audience sang and danced with us and shared our love of the Irish culture.”
An Irish working in Salalah admitted that the performance was so good that for a moment he forgot that he was in Oman.
“The setting, cuisine and the singers brought the real feel of my place and I saw many Omanis also enjoying the event.”
James Hewitson, General Manager of Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, which hosted the band, called it an exchange of cultures. “Irish culture, for example, is very unique and interesting. Like Oman, there are many aspects to Irish heritage, traditions and culture, where music is a very important one.”
“We keep on inviting famous bands from around the world. Such events not only offer healthy entertainment to the people of Salalah but also attract the attention of people living in other parts of the world. It makes the destination popular and works like a confluence of cultures,” he said.
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