Mike - 6-25-2007 at 08:52 PM
Farido was the King of mawwal in my opinion.
Mike - 6-25-2007 at 08:54 PM
One of my all time favorite mawwals for the King!
Mike - 6-25-2007 at 08:56 PM
Poor guy was sad because he remembered how well he could play, but wasn't able to as he aged. Farido was full of emotions and tarab.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0nTcV8GQo&NR=1
Thanks to my buddy Ghassan A. for sending me this link.
Mike - 6-25-2007 at 09:21 PM
Another one. 
ron - 6-25-2007 at 10:07 PM
thanks for these Mike. the youtube clip brought tears to my eyes.
ron
MatthewW - 6-26-2007 at 06:00 AM
yeah, that youtube clip was very moving, I really felt for Farid, the expression of his face said more than any words or music could convey. he's
like a father to all of us. thanks Mike for sharing these.
Jameel - 6-26-2007 at 06:10 AM
.......................the king........................
SamirCanada - 6-26-2007 at 07:56 AM
indeed... Malek al oud.
Mike - 6-26-2007 at 08:17 AM
Classics! My favorite parts of both epic songs.
Adil Rabiih - Awel Hamsa
Mike - 6-26-2007 at 01:56 PM
Short clip from a movie with his famous oud!
Enta Elli Kont Be Dawwar Alleh - You're The One I've Been Searching For
Mike - 6-26-2007 at 02:11 PM
A Rabih taqsim with a surprising twist for the ending.
I miss the Farid el-Atrache Website!
Rabih Taqsim - 1964
damascene_oud - 6-26-2007 at 02:17 PM
Guys let me tell you why Farid was looked sad here.
He was visiting Damascus in early 70's. In that clip you see him hosted in a program especially made for him and the host "Nabeel Maleh" asked him:
"is it true what some people are saying that the brilliant age of Farid has gone away and deminished with no return even as an oud player"
Farid felt so sad because there was a firece propaganda against him in Egypt as rumors spread that he will give the one-and-only singer Oum Kolsoum
his first song.
In that program Farid commented as saying: "in the concert you shall know the truth and i shall answer those who say so"
Farid gave a concert in Abassiyyeen stadium and was attended by more than 50 thousand spectators.
He sand his famous Adii Errabiih..and surely played his famous intro on oud.
I shall not say anything except that he proved that he was the king, and that his star is still shining.
I have that recording and will post the taqasim to prove to those who are saying that he looked sad because he couldn't play as he used to do, that
this is not true. He was sad because he wasn't treated fairly by most of artists and media in Egypt.
By the way, Farid AlAtrache and his legendary sister Asmahan "god rest their souls" have a very special high place among Syrians.
And they both are still referred to as "their hignesses"
spyros mesogeia - 6-26-2007 at 02:23 PM
all the great players some day cr for what they can't anymore do.....but they haveto realise that they still are great players,and that they still
teach us many many things.
Mike,you are a diamond man,thanks for these feelings.
Regards to all
Spyros
Mike - 6-26-2007 at 02:24 PM
Many people loved Farido, but as Damascene wrote, unfortunately, he was shunned by other artists in Egypt, and the Egyptian media. His throngs of
Egyptian fans loved him though, and were extremely loyal. Ultimately, that's what matters most anyway. Farido beyond proved himself time and time
again. Thanks for clarifying that Damascene. Here are two more clips from the talented guitar player Omar Khorshid honoring Farido. So many other
artists redid a number of Farid's songs, and that is a testament to how great his body of work was musically.
Khorshid - Rabih
Khorshid - Awel Hamsa
Mike - 6-26-2007 at 02:25 PM
My pleasure guys. I'ma see what else I can come up with...
MatthewW - 6-27-2007 at 12:30 AM
thanks damascene_oud for the interesting insight into the reasons why Farido was sad, your many good stories, facts and comments on all things
related to the oud are good to read. We will be looking forward to you posting that taqasim recording! And thanks Mike for starting this thread, it's
good to stop and reflect on the life of this outstanding musician, an inspiration to all of us. One thing I am not clear about are some of the REAL
reasons why some other artisits of his day shunned this great man? Was is political, were they jealous, did he have an affair with their wifes, what
did he do to upset them? Especially when he contributed so much to mainstream Arabic/Egyptian music and film, etc. in his time?
arsene - 6-27-2007 at 03:50 AM
I read somewhere that Naseer Shamma - a player I respect and like
very much; in fact, he was one of the reasons I started checking out the oud - said something nasty about Farido, something along the lines of
"there's no emotion in his playing" (I can't recall the exact words but it boiled down to that more or less).
Does anyone have a clue why he would say such a thing (if it's even true)? I mean, he's an amazing player, but IMO, so is Farid! 
amtaha - 6-27-2007 at 04:06 AM
I remember some time ago a friend of mine usually considered Farid's oudism "butcher-like". This friend's fascination was instead in favor of Yusuf
Al-Mutrif, who was an amazing Kuwaiti player.
There are many view, such as Naseer's statement, that may be taken up by chauvinistic fans, to the extreme of dismissing Farid altogether. But in
light of the players' "humanity" - in the raw sense - what we seek should be the music.
And from the many things that have been said, or reported to be said, by one player about another, it seems a good choice, though irritating, to
concentrate on the players' music and dismiss their annoying comments.
... Incidentally, it was Farid who said something to the effect of: "Farid is not what he says or do, or what people say he says or do. If you are to
judge Farid - musically - then can you only judge him by his music."
God bless them all ..
Hamid
mavrothis - 6-27-2007 at 05:27 AM
Beautiful Mike, thanks so much for sharing this material. Seeing him listening to his own playing is really something. He is honestly and deeply
moved by his strong emotion. I don't know of any other player who could express himself like that - no wonder he is the favorite of so many. 
Thanks again,
mavrothis
SamirCanada - 6-27-2007 at 05:32 AM
Unfortunately for Naseer he will never reach the same level as Farid.
I would be suprised if his levels of fans reached 2% of what Farid had amounted.
he will never get there because of his lack in charisma not in lack of his playing.
Farid could Sing, Act and had the charismatic power to attract millions of fans.
those are things Naseer could never reach.
I have to say I really enjoy some of Naseer's music. It has great feelings in his compositions but I was never blown away by his improvisations. I
always thought they lacked feeling.
anyways Iam with you Hamid, Artist should let their music speak for themselves and not their words. Anyhow if thats how they feel when they play
music somehow it comes trough in their playing.
arsene - 6-27-2007 at 10:03 AM
I agree with you, Samir, I've always liked Naseer's compositions better than his improvs. Still, I consider him to be an amazing player. I was just
shocked to hear him say such things about Farid. Maybe it's jealousy?
farid rules, there's no question about that in my mind!
SamirCanada - 6-27-2007 at 11:31 AM
It could be jealousy... jealous of a man he probably wouldnt have met.
If you like the playing, the music etc... then you listen thats pretty much what it should end at.
But in this world where the oud has broken out of the middle eastern sphere and into the internet and into the western world.
People rely on the information they get from the ineternet for their new hobby... this can be a problem when its misguiding. here is what I mean.
For example I know you are new to the oud. Iam also new to playing the oud but It has been around all my life right. I grew up listening to arabic
music thats what I play. what attracted me to playing the oud is what I heard from my grand father's records and from the music I could listen to on
satelite tv on arabic chanels. From speaking to people in the arab comunity Farid is the genius child that was taught by Ryadh el Sunbati and became a
huge superstar. Ryadh el Sunbati having composed phenomenal songs for Oum Koulthoum who is undoubtedly imortal in her fame and will live on forever as
the most prominant arabic Diva. This period and the artists that performed then are held up as the standard of perfection. They were the greatest
thing then but more importantly they are still regarded as unsurpassed. Almost to in way that most people see it as the golden age of arabic music
that has long gone and will never come back. When I hear the sound of Farid's oud, thats the sound of the oud. Soulfull and sweet.
read this interesting thread.
http://www.your.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=5937&a...
Jason - 6-27-2007 at 01:06 PM
Great post Mike and Samir. While I enjoy Farid's playing, it's clear that it is on a whole different level for you guys who have grown up listening
to him. It makes it easy to understand why he's so loved by SO many people.
arsene - 6-27-2007 at 03:36 PM
Samir, I see what you mean.
I've had the same thing with Romanian music (and fell in love with the Cobzã, the Romanian oud) - it has always been with me, wherever I went.
While I can't say I grew up with oud, like you did, I had been introduced to the oud earlier, through the Ladino (Sephardic, Spanish/Jewish) music my
mom hid from me for many years. But it wasn't until I started to check out Arabic players (like, for example, Shamma, the Bashirs, and Farid) that I
heard where it all came from - it also gave me a better understanding of the Romanian cobzã, by getting to know its roots.
The info on the web CAN be confusing and misleading, but it's a good thing we all found this forum, eh?
Still, a difference remains, and I can never be - and I don't aspire to be - an actual OUD PLAYER (yes, with capital letters) because I do believe
that the crucial part of your life, the growing up thing, plays a very important role in it all.
I'll always be a guitarist (and to a lesser extent, a cobzã player) who likes to play the oud and throw out a taqsim or two once in a while, or play
some Ladino songs. And that's fine, as Jason said, for you guys it's on a different level, and it's up to you to preserve the great tradition of this
great instrument and the people that have made it famous.
For me, well, it's just a hobby
Forgive me if I sound a little vague, but it's late and I must admit I kinda forgot the point I was about to make, but I guess what I'm trying to say
is,
the connection I have with oud is historical, the connection you have with oud is genetical.
And that's something you never lose, even though it is now possible for every man, woman and their dog to buy and learn to play the oud.
Still, I must admit I really fell in love with this instrument.
Anyway, I'll get some sleep now and maybe I'll have something smart to say in the morning.
Peace all.
-Andi
SamirCanada - 6-27-2007 at 08:28 PM
you couldnt have been that tired man... you make a point.
kind of the same as if I picked up a Cozba? 
I would probably try to play it like a oud.
arsene - 6-28-2007 at 06:39 AM
Yeah, kinda
Anyway. Back to the original subject. So we agree that, for all of us, Farid rules supreme.
Jameel - 7-3-2007 at 04:52 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXGoL06q7Ao
3:00 minute mark. 
Young Farido, the best!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pv85U7pRAM
and without a rishi!
Jameel - 7-16-2007 at 04:48 PM
More gems.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YIYsjKhZJo