A Palestinian you should know: Wanees Zarour
- What’s your name?
Wanees Zarour
- Who are you?
I am a Palestinian-American composer and multi-instrumentalist. (Oud, violin, buzuq, percussion)
- Where do you live?
Chicago
- How has your experience been in the music scene there?
Chicago has a very interesting music scene. I have been active in the Chicago scene for about 17 years. The scene in Chicago, like much of its arts scene such as theater, dance and visual arts, is propelled by grassroots efforts. The city government and the educational institutions play the largest part in curation, however a large portion is organized by the artist community itself as well as small venues. The most important aspect of the music scene here is that all of the world’s cultures are represented, and the environment is conducive for cross collaboration. Chicago has some of the best international music talent in addition to authentic Black-American music such as Blues, Jazz and Gospel.
The most wonderful aspect of being in Chicago for me is the wide array of opportunities I have had here, I have been able to work with musicians from many different traditions and learn, and I have been able to present my work to large audiences. I have directed orchestras, large and small ensembles, and made music for theater productions and film here. It is very easy to create here because Chicago musicians are open and versatile and willing to try new things.
- What type of music do you make and how did you get into it?
I basically operate in three parallels. My compositions tend to be Arab/Maqam intricately combined with jazz. However I also direct a 50-piece Middle East Music Orchestra at the University of Chicago, which plays traditional and contemporary Arab, Persian and Turkish repertoire, and I recently started co-directing the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra with guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque.
I am a classically trained violinist, but I switched to Middle Eastern music and learned maqam in my early teens, when I started playing the oud and the buzuq. When I arrived to the United States when I was 15 or 16, I started getting into jazz. I was drawn to jazz because I discovered its striking similarities with Middle Eastern music, they are both deeply rooted in improvisation and freedom of interpretation. While Middle Eastern music is known for its complex rhythms, scales and phrasing, jazz is known for its complex harmony and improvisational practices. I was always drawn to attempts of putting the two together. At first, I listened to Lebanese composer Ziad Rahbani, who is a pioneer in combining the two traditions, but then I branched out and got into Ara Dinkjian and Ozdimir Erdogan. I performed with Amir Elsaffar, an Iraqi Trumpet player who has a unique take on combining jazz and maqam, and continued honing my craft and working on my own recipe for such combination.
- What kind of themes do you explore in your music?
When I write my compositions, I draw most of my inspiration from experiences I have had in Palestine growing up and visiting after I moved here. When I lived there, I got around mostly by walking, and the streets have a rhythm and music to them. If you listen to my compositions, you’ll notice that the main ideas sound very Palestinian, very folkloric and rhythmic, surrounded by harmonies and colors that I add from my experience here in the US with jazz music.
- Tell us about your relationship with the instrument(s) you play.
I play the violin, buzuq, oud and percussion. I have different relationships with each of them. This is a great question! As my first instrument, the violin has a special place in my heart, I use it to explore emotion and delicate musical ideas, as a kid the violin never left my side, I didn’t go anywhere without it. The buzuq, being a folk instrument, is energetic and fun and it’s my instrument of choice for jamming and showing some chops. I find myself composing and performing on the oud most of the time because if it’s versatility and my ability to execute what’s in my brain directly to the instrument. I do a ton of recording projects on percussion and I use it to direct my orchestra instead of a baton, my music is extremely rhythmic and texture is extremely important to me.
- Any dream collaborations that you're trying to manifest?
My answer to this question is a moving target. I have been lucky to collaborate with extremely important musicians throughout my career. I am exploring a collaboration with one of my teachers, Bob Palmieri, an amazing jazz guitarist and pure genius. I am also waiting for a hip hop artist to come along who is willing to explore some complicated rhythmic ideas with me.
- How does your Palestinian family / friends / community support you?
I am fortunate to have friends, family and a community that are very supportive of the music that I make. The Middle East Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago has broad support in the Arab, Turkish and Persian communities in Chicago. My work in the maqam-jazz genre has gained significant traction in the community, which is increasing quickly. I am very excited about that because for the most part this music was mainly consumed by a jazz audience. I am very interested in showing our community that our music is adaptive and expansive and can incorporate more color without jeopardizing its theoretical identity and performance practices.
- How does Arab or Palestinian music / culture find its way into the music you make? (if at all)
It is truly all over it. My music is steeped in Arab and Palestinian culture. My brain thinks in both Middle Eastern and Jazz languages simultaneously. I use maqam and Middle Eastern rhythms, phrasing, intonations, and form in all of my compositions.
- What kind of future would you like to see for diaspora Palestinians in music?
More female musicians making waves. There are quite a few amazing ones, but I want to see more, especially ones who are willing to take musical (and rhetorical) risks in writing
- What's the best career advice you've ever received?
People don’t know what they will like until they hear it.
- In the near future, Palestine is free, we're throwing a big party there to celebrate, and everybody gets to play some music, what records (not your own) are you bringing to play at the party?
This is the most difficult question. First of all, I probably should not be allowed to bring records to the party. But since everyone will be playing patriotic music from the 80s, I will probably bring a Frank Zappa record, Apostrophe perhaps, to completely throw things off, then I would play some Sabreen, a Palestinian band (Here Come The Doves, or Smoke of the Volcanos), a record by Issa Boulos (Bonfire) and Reem Banna. All of them, except Zappa are so deeply connected with the Palestinian struggle and experience and it’s very much a palpable part of their music.
- What are your social media handles and website(s)?
Website: www.waneeszarour.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wbzarour
Instagram: @wanees_zarour
