Ali Ghamsari & Ensemble

In the heart of Berlin, where cultures blend and arts converge, Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma invites audiences on a musical journey through time, tracing the influence of the oud, the oldest stringed instrument known to history. Over the course of four millennia, the oud traveled from Mesopotamia to Persia, then to Andalusia, paving the way for the birth of similar instruments, including the guitar, lute, rebab, and mandolin in Europe, the sitar in India, and the tar in Iran. Shamma has curated a series of five concerts reflecting the instrument’s impact on intertwined musical styles that speak to the depth of cultural exchange between peoples. “These concerts are not just performances,” Shamma says, “they are meetings with time, where melodies blend with history. This series is an invitation to dive into the journey of the oud as an instrument and as a bridge between civilizations. Every string carries the echo of thousands of years, and every note tells the story of humanity.”The second stop on Naseer Shamma’s Journey of Instruments is Iran, where the oud led to the development of the long-necked lute tar. Few artists have mastered it as brilliantly as Ali Ghamsari.