Halim El-Dabh

In 1944, four years before the first ‘official’ example of tape music was heard in Europe, Egyptian Halim El-Dabh had already manipulated a recording for his The Expression of Zaar. But that is not the only reason why El-Dabh is a standout pioneer of contemporary art music. He also combined the spoken word, singing and percussion with electronic sounds. And as an ethnomusicologist he recorded almost forgotten African traditions and incorporated them into compositions. Fascinated on many levels, Season’s Composer Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman immerses herself in El-Dabh’s oeuvre and takes us on a journey through the work of this largely unrecognised musical innovator.

This lecture is in Dutch.