Majida el Roumi was accompanied to Muscat by her huge bespoke orchestra and eight backing singers in a highly polished, professional production. They filed on stage, dressed uniformly in black at the start of the programme, followed by their youthful conductor, Lubnan Abdul Hamid Baalaki and launched into the instrumental ‘Prelude: Sawfa Nabqa’ – “We will stay”. It featured a melodic intro from the strings to a syncopated tango rhythm, complete with kit drums and accordion.
Lebanese singer and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, El Roumi was the concluding performance for January 2025 at the Royal Opera House Muscat — a concert that sold out well in advance when tickets became gold dust.
The hall was packed with ladies and gentlemen from all over the Arab world and beyond to hear the ‘Angel of Tarab’ and ‘Star of Peace’.
Anyone lucky enough to attend her performance will understand the charisma Majida el Roumi bears, and her incredible stage presence. Being the daughter of the famous Lebanese singer and composer, Halim El Roumi, has set Majida on a pathway to stardom. With it came the responsibility of bringing her message of hope across the Arab world.
As the Queen of Stage took the stage dressed in a sparkling white A-line dress with complementary gown attached, she immediately took possession of the night. Being in the House of Musical Arts gave the interaction between soloist and public an intimacy which would have been lost in the larger auditorium. The audience clearly love and adore her, clamouring on her every word and singing along to many of her lyrics.
Her opening number, ‘Al Hurriyah’, was highly rhythmic and gave ample scope for a lively performance. It demonstrated Ms Roumi's charisma, encouraging everyone to clap along. She addressed the audience, thanking them for her fourth invitation to perform at ROHM and introduced her fine conductor from Beirut. She spoke in a clearly emotional voice as she said how beautiful, friendly and peaceful Oman is and wishing, “my audience all the happiness and joy they can find”.
The third number was a love song. The backing choir often carried the melody between her verses and the accordion gave the music a Mediterranean flavour. Majida has an unusual voice for an Arabic singer. Its smoky, mature quality with gravitas reflects all the experience which life bestows on an artist.
“Marart Fi Khayali” was composed by Halim al Roumi, with the narrative propelled along by the energy and momentum from the orchestra. It bore a distinctly French influence with the use of Nadim Charbel Rouhana’s excellent accordion skills – creating an almost 1940s fairground carousel sound.
The next song had a jazzy, syncopated Big Band feel. It featured Marc Wadih Abou Naoum's brilliant keyboard technique on grand piano with George Estaphane Najarian driving from the drum kit. It was an animated vocal performance with showbiz style lighting effects and film score string playing.
A complete contrast was heard in, “La Tas’al”, a slow, lush romantic song with string and percussion accompaniment, then chorus and accordion backing, suggesting the mood of a celestial choir. Another change in style came in Rouhana’s Belgian gypsy accordion introduction and Noryar Daghlian’s Spanish guitar solo to, “Uhibbouka Jiddan” reflecting a French-European influence.
“Ana Am Bahlam”, with its typically lively, syncopated rhythm, was hugely popular and met with cheers of recognition from the audience, who sang along and filled in whole sections of the lyrics. “Malik Qalbi” is written by Majida el Roumi herself, and was introduced by Qanoon solo from Jihad Michel Assaad over a single held string note. This lyrical song is well known and was greeted with enthusiastic clapping.
The following song, “El Toubah” was based on an exotic Egyptian scale introduced by accordion solo - and then the clapping joined in with this filmic narrative as the music became louder - Ms Roumi’s voice was occasionally lost below the full ensemble during the evening. Most popular of all came, “Matrahak bi Qalbi”, a Love Story soundtrack with a haunting saxophone solo from Chadi Salim Marina. The audience was ecstatic in their response to this tricky vocal line, clapping along and singing the end of each line to complete the phrase for Ms Roumi.
A Western 1940s film was conjured up by the piano solo and insistent, driving rhythm in the beloved, “Kalimat”. Majida el Roumi brought the audience with her during the quiet acapella ending through her compelling vocal command and gesture.
Finally, “Mayli” brought the evening to a moving close, with Majida taking the conductor’s hand for the final bow. The soul-stirring performance left the lasting impression of Roumi’s striking presence, walking like a dream through everyone’s unconscious - a veritable Star of Lebanon’s heart.
Photos by Khalid al Busaidi
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