Moroccan Singer Wows Georgetown Audience

With a soulful selection of songs ranging from ancient to new, Moroccan singer Noumane Lahlou mesmerized an enthusiastic audience Sunday, February 17th, as he sang and played the Oud in the Georgetown University SFS-Q atrium. Performing solo, Lahlou treated listeners to a wide selection of music including an Andalusian tune passed down for over a thousand years, song lyrics derived from traditional Arabic poetry, and Lahlou’s own famous tunes, “Bladi Ya Zin Lboudane” and “Lamdina Laqdima”.

Later in the evening, after asking the audience if they preferred a song by Mohammad Abdel Wahhab or Oum Kalthoum, a table filled with SFS-Q Egyptian student club members showed a rousing preference for Oum Kalthoum. Like the songs, the audience was a blend of young and old, all unified as they clapped in rhythm to the well-loved melodies.

Guests were pleased to see Morocco’s Ambassador to Qatar His Excellency Almakki Kwan at the event. As a gift from the Moroccan embassy, guests were treated to Moroccan tea and sweets presented in the traditional manner, which contributed to the evening’s elegant atmosphere.

Dr. Abbas Al-Tonsi, who was the catalyst for this special performance at Georgetown, said “We were thrilled to have the talented Noumane Lahlou join us and bring together such a broad collection of our community. Our guests ranged in age from eight to 80-years-old, and I was pleased to have Lahlou’s music enjoyed by our truly multi-cultural, multi-national campus at Education City.”