Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Acclaimed Palestinian singer, pianist and composer Faraj Suleiman is set to make his long-awaited UAE debut at NYUAD’s Red Theater on Friday, August 29, at 7.30pm.
Suleiman will take the stage with a full band to deliver a performance that moves between intricate, playful rhythms and deeply introspective moments.
His music blends jazz, rock, classical and Arabic influences into a sound that is unmistakably his own. Suleiman is set to perform selections from his albums, including his breakthrough album “Better than Berlin”, and his latest release, “Maryam”.
Introspective and cinematic, Maryam captures the stark contrasts of life. It begins with themes of love and romance, with the first tracks radiating life and energy, later transforming into a darker expression of grief and transformation.
Maryam conveys a spectrum of loss, from romantic to physical to existential, balancing its sombre themes with moments of tenderness, enriched by folk-inspired instrumentation and warm vocal accompaniments.
Worldwide Acclaim
The 41-year-old star has released a range of albums, spanning solo piano pieces, quartets, quintets, and arrangements for choirs and full orchestras. He has performed at the prestigious EFG London Jazz Festival twice, in 2019 and 2024.
His 2018 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival marked a significant milestone in his career.
Suleiman composed the original score for “200 Meters” (2020), a film by Ameen Nayfeh that was selected as Jordan’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. As well as the soundtrack for “Je te ferai un film” (2022) by Amani Jaafar, “Alam” (2021) and “Maradona’s Legs” (2018) by Feras Khoury.
In 2020, he collaborated with world famous graffiti artist, Banksy, by recording musical tracks in the “Walled-off Hotel” in Bethlehem, Palestine.
