Experience at ROHM truly amazing

The last thing I expected to pack for my holiday in Oman was a suit, but having booked a ticket for the Royal Opera House Muscat and ticked the box which required me to adhere to a certain dress code, I had no other option.
I had booked to see Mohammed Assaf accompanied by Nabil Azzam and the Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra (MESTO) to perform at an evening of Arab and Palestinian music and dance at the ROHM but decided I would visit the building itself a few days before.
Hence I was duly shown the splendid foyers and lobby with Omani and Moroccan designed teak panelling and the extensive use of Carrara marble for the walls and floor, not to mention the German-built organ, the discreet airconditioning, the sound- proofing and told about the varied possibilities to re-configure much of the seating when required.
All most impressive, and eloquently explained in English by the guide, though when it came to question time and I asked her if she was going to sing, she declined owing to “a bad voice”.
When it came to the concert itself, I duly followed instructions and was there one hour in advance, hence having plenty of time to see what other concert-goers were wearing.
Most of them, of Omani or Palestinian origin, were dressed very smartly in dishdashas or suits with Palestinian scarves, the ladies equally elegant in long attire with the stewardesses themselves in colourful lawasi-style dresses. Western guests were very much in the minority but I did notice one steward having to tell one European visitor to tuck his shirt in, something I have not heard since my headmaster had to tell the occasional pupil himself on the way to assembly.
The concert began with the Funoniyat Palestinian Folklore Troupe, consisting of eight men and eight women from Ramallah, dance with great flair and energy. What was amazing about the MESTO was how the music they played had that unmistakable Middle Eastern tone, yet none of its members was of Arab origin.
When Mohammed Assaf made his appearance there was much applause and jubilation, particularly from a large group of young Palestinians behind me. As the elderly Omani gentlemen next to me explained, Assaf first sang some traditional Arab songs, getting many to clap and stand up in appreciation, including him. Only after the interval did Assaf perform some of his hits, such as La Wayn Brouh, which has been heard over eight-and-a-half million times on YouTube, and understandably so.
For those who may not be familiar with him, Assaf won Arab Idol in 2013 and since then he has gone on to perform around the world. Furthermore, he has been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Peace by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, the 26-year-old having grown up on the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
Here is a young man who, with his voice, good looks, smile and charm has the power to change the way the world looks at Palestine, such a welcome change from what the territory is usually associated with.
Not that Assaf’s road to success was an easy one, he had to forge a visa to get to Egypt where the Arab Idol contest took place. Arriving too late to attend auditions, another contestant gave him his entrant’s pass when he realised, with Assaf’s voice, the young Palestinian was sure to reach the finals. In fact he did more, he won.
In the second half of the concert, someone the front row threw Assaf a scarf, (though not a keffiyeh, the typical Palestinian head gear famously worn by Yasser Arafat), albeit in national colours, which he duly put around his neck, much to the approval of his compatriot fans as they shouted out the name of songs they wanted him to perform.
Before attending this highly enjoyable evening, I was in a taxi on my way through Muscat when I asked the driver to play some Arab music as I find this adds to the general pleasant experience of being driven through the city’s streets. I told him of my excitement at attending the forthcoming concert. He had heard of Mohammed Assaf but told me he disapproved of music. He said this sort of decadent singing about love and such like was something that had been imported from the west to countries such as Egypt and the Lebanon. Naturally I was rather surprised, as music can bond people of different nationalities otherwise separated by linguistic barriers. After all, while I appreciate Assaf’s singing, I did not know what he was singing about (until I read a translation).
Alas this unforgettable evening was over all too soon. As I was driven back to my hotel, I looked back at the floodlit opera house but, on this short trip, refrained from asking the driver to play any music, Assaf’s songs still echoing in my ears. - The writer is editor at Switzerland's Zug Post