Omar Souleyman

On 21 May 2026 Omar Souleyman appears at Melkweg in Amsterdam. The singer from the Syrian governorate of Al-Hasakah began in the mid-1990s as a wedding singer and developed a repertoire around dabke and local celebratory music. His early performances were circulated on cassette; later the American label Sublime Frequencies compiled that material on releases such as Highway to Hassake, Dabke 2020 and Jazeera Nights, which brought his name to audiences outside Syria. After moving to Turkey he increasingly took to international stages, from clubs to festivals associated with electronic and experimental scenes. Studio albums such as Wenu Wenu (produced by Kieran Hebden, also known as Four Tet), Bahdeni Nami, To Syria, with Love and Shlon continued this trajectory. Live, his shows focus on a direct, repetitive vocal delivery, brisk rhythms and prominent melodic keyboard lines, at the intersection of dabke, Middle Eastern pop and electronic energy. He frequently performs alongside keyboardist Rizan Sa’id; together they establish a tight call-and-response with an emphasis on rhythm and repetition.