Omar Souleyman

Born in the Al-Hasakah governorate in northeastern Syria, Omar Souleyman began his career in the mid-1990s as a wedding singer, developing a repertoire rooted in dabke and local festive music. His performances were first recorded on cassette for a regional circuit; the American label Sublime Frequencies later compiled these recordings on several releases, including Highway to Hassake (2007), Dabke 2020 (2009) and Jazeera Nights (2010), which helped spread his name beyond Syria. After the outbreak of the Syrian conflict he settled in Turkey and stepped up his international activity, performing at festivals and clubs associated with electronic and experimental music. The albums Wenu Wenu (2013), produced by Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet, Bahdeni Nami (2015), To Syria, with Love (2017) and Shlon (2019) extended this move from a local celebratory context to a global audience. Omar Souleyman’s style relies on a direct, repetitive vocal delivery supported by rapid rhythms and very melodic keyboard lines, blending dabke, Middle Eastern pop and an energy close to certain electronic currents; he often performs on stage as a duo with keyboardist Rizan Sa’id and has collaborated with artists such as Björk and Modeselektor.