George Kandalaft

Short

One of the most significant Arab performers of his generation. performed before enthusiastic audiences in many significant venues worldwide. Among these are the Kennedy Center in Washington Dc,  Berlin Gorki Theate and Madrid Plaza Mayor. He has also performed in some of the leading Music Festivals, such as "Karneval Der Kulturen" in Berlin and The Jerusalem International Oud Festival. His remarkable playing lead to over a million viewers in his youtube channel.

 

George Kandalaft specializing in lyrical improvisations in a traditional style. He was born in Nazareth. At the age of 10, he started playing the oud, and later joined his first band at the age of 14. Two years later, he began to take part in a project that aimed to play music for peace. In 2008, he finished his first degree in musical performance and music education, and continued his academic diploma in music therapy in Jerusalem. Through the years of his life, George has participated in different international music festivals in different parts of the world. He has played with bands, orchestras, and performed his own compositions for solo oud–both in a traditional sound and an electrified heavy metal style. He is interested in integrating the oud with music from different origins. George is also a music therapist who works with blind, deaf, physically disabled, autistic, mentally retarded, and hyperactive people.

Long

 

George Kandalaft: an Oud player. He was born on the 13th of September, 1986 in Nazareth.
In the heart of the Middle East which is full of endless wars from the late history until our days, George carries his Oud in the middle of this mess; he plays it hard to raise its voice above the voices of rockets, he attracts around him a large number of people from different cultures to bring them together to the world of music, and setting them free from the constant violence that surrounds them.
At the age of 10, he started playing an Oud which he got as a gift from his father Bishara Kandalaft after he tried himself to play it but he did not succeed because of his physical disability. Bashara was looking at his son eagerly, he enjoyed his son's progress while he was watching him in his first performance on his school stage when he was twelve years old; he was learning Oud then at Franswa Khel who is an admired music teacher who was born in Nazareth.
At the age of fourteen George joined his first band, The Arab Youth Band, which was lead by Sobhi Sbanyoli who became George's new teacher and the person who prepared him to enter the Academy of Music in Jerusalem.
In 2004 when George became eighteen years old, he moved to Jerusalem to become one of the few people who enrolled in academic music study in his society, he specialized in Oud study and music education. At this young age he started working as an Oud teacher in The Conservatory of Ibn Khaldun In Nazareth. He also started working as a music instructor to people who suffer from psychological illnesses in the Old City of Jerusalem, In addition, he stated to play at an orchestra for youth which aims to integrate different civilizations and cultures through the music in Jaffa.
Between Nazareth, Jaffa and Jerusalem, he taught Oud, he entered the world of music therapy and played different kinds of music with different bands.
In 2006, while you could hear the echoes of the bombing of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, he had his first music tours outside the country taking part in the Athenian music festival in Cyprus; there he discovered how people can connect through music so he started several projects to erase all national, political and religious background and concentrate on music and integrating humans through it.
In 2008, he finished his first degree in Oud study, and another first degree in music education, he now became a professional Oud player and teacher. He worked in schools as an official music teacher. In the same year he took part in The White Flag project which is a project that specialized in world rock on the one hand, and on the other hand in classic jazz. In addition he went to Spain and The United States to have big and important performances for peace, this time by integrating drama and theater.
In this year, George met Mohammad Hassan in one of the schools that he worked at, Mohammad was an eight years old child, his dream was to play the Oud. The problem was that he was born without arms! Here, George's real challenge started and he made his first steps to music therapy. In 2009 he made Mohammad sit on the stage performing to hundreds of people while playing the Oud together with George using his toes.
The press started to show interest in George and Mohammad's work and film it. At the same time George started making his own solo Oud music pieces, he had concerts of his own music inside and outside the country. He also hosted other local musicians from the countries he were at to bridge between the Arabic culture and other cultures.
After Mohammad Hasan's story and after years of working in a center for people who suffer from mental illness, George started studying psychology, and then music therapy. This has opened doors for him to have new musical experiences with people who suffer from different problems and disabilities; he has worked with blind, deaf, physically disabled, autistic, mentally retarded, and hyper active people.
After he started working in music therapy which is a sensory therapy that works mainly expressing of feelings, he had learned a new way of expressing his own feelings by playing Oud, he has widened his horizons and experienced new solo Oud play on the hand, and he entered the world of heavy metal which is a music that reflects the cruelness of the political situations of his surrounding in the middle east, he started using the electronic Oud.
Nowadays, in the summer of 2013, George is proficiently recording his new solo Oud CD. He is writing about his work with special needs people in the field of music therapy. In addition, he is creating recordings and having musical theatrical performances which aim to connect people with disabilities with the society, and intensely have projects to unite the world through music.

Strings of Soul (Project)

Is a project which based on two main programs:
Music therapy:
It is a new program on our Arab society which is mainly based on sensory treatment, It provides us a musical corner in our lives to help us release the negative energy out of our souls and fill them with positive one to reach better and finer lives. This is done through meetings for creating random music using varied musical instruments, playing music, writing and making music according to the condition of person who approaches us. This program is open to all segments of society and different ages. Strings of Soul gives you a safe place and helps you improve your psychological condition and solve your everyday problems smooth and positive way.
Music therapy specializes mainly in working with disable and special needs people. At first, the person who approaches us get familiar with the different kinds of musical instruments in the room, we begin by matching the person with a musical instrument according to his desire and need, thus we give the disable person an instrument which accompanies him in his daily life, so the person can rely on it in his difficult time. In some cases, the person's playing ability develops so we move to the performance level, in which we show our musical achievements on stage. On the stage we receive social support on the one hand, on the other hand we communicate with the society and deliver our messages to the community, and begin to change the preconceptions that are engraved in our society regarding disabled people and everything related to them which enable us to improve their status in the community through this project.
The second program of the project is teaching Oud:
Strings of soul has chosen to focus on teaching how to play this instrument because it reflects our cultural identity, keeping and developing playing Oud strengthen our cultural fingerprint in the world. We notice today that the world is heading towards globalization, therefore, strings of soul tries to maintain the Arab heritage, recitals and known songs, on the other hand, it opens the window to integrate the Oud with international music.
Registration for learning the Oud is open to all ages without exception. We build a teaching plan according to the age and musical preference of the student, it is possible to learn by the auditory traditional simple way and it is possible to learn at an academic level which covers musical theories, the ability to read a note, mastering musical pieces that are played in academic levels and preparing the student to get higher musical education