Picture of the Day: Legendary Syrian Musician Sabri Moudallal Performs at the Palmyra Ruins in 1989
Coming from Aleppo in Syria, Sabri Moudallal is a legendary Syrian artist, who was one of the greatest classical singers of his time and all-time. Although he was born in 1918, he kept recording until a very recent time, when he was 80. He was a traditional singer, recited the Quran, and was the first to be appointed ‘muezzin’ in Aleppo.
Moudallal was respected and admired among other musicians due to his unique breathing while singing techniques, which allowed him to sing harmoniously, for long periods. He held performances in several countries, like France, Egypt, and Syria. Dubbed as “the doyen of Syrian-Arab music”, he was considered a traditional and religious singer, and sang both the religious and the secular ‘muwashah’. He passed away in Aleppo in 2006.
We came across this nostalgic and bittersweet photo of him performing with his band at Palmyra in 1989, years before the ruins were destroyed by ISIS.
