Lebanese violinist Ara Malikian living in Spain continues to cross borders with his virtuosity in strings. He will visit Gran Canaria on October 1 as part of the SUM Festival and will present songs from his latest work ‘Ara’. “We will take care of them and carry them,” the musician promises to the islanders.
This tour comes with a much more intimate offering, after having to adapt the last one due to the restrictions of the pandemic. Do you have one of the two options?
It’s good to change. We had to adapt when the pandemic started and we did a lot of concerts as a duo in a more intimate format for a more limited capacity and it was great. Concerts during the pandemic were held with many challenges such as security measures, masks, social distancing and even though it was a very difficult two years for the entire planet, it was very exciting for us because we discovered unprecedented things, how did it happen? Decipher the public’s feelings behind the masks and how to reach them despite the fear. And despite all the news and fear, we encountered a wonderful public going to concerts. It’s been two years with a more intimate and classic format but now we’re happy to be able to replace it with a bigger idea, a wider band.
Restrictions such as not finishing a concert without scrolling through your audience are long gone.
It’s a mania I’m used to. Even during the pandemic period, I walked around the community wearing my mask. After all these years on stage, I’ve learned that I can never thank the public enough for coming to see my performance. I want to thank them for being there, getting excited and sending their energy to me, and therefore walking among them is something my body craves. I started a few years ago because I want to be with them, be close, thank them and encourage them. It’s a gesture that moves me, and I think they appreciate that too. It has become a tradition.
What kind of offer do you come to this concert in the Canary Islands?
I’m here with my last tour Ara. It is a piece that I composed because I was very close to my son in prison. The entire album is inspired by his world, imagination and fantasy. It’s something we lost when we grew up, and for me it was so nice to spend so much time with him. It is also true that since it is a festival, we will adapt the proposal a little, because the public will want to dance and jump on their feet and so we will change it because we know there is a request. To enjoy these festivities.
This last work is once again a very personal suggestion, but he is able to connect with his audience as he is used to.
I think it doesn’t matter what theme or what excuse you have to go on stage. In fact, I think it’s an artist’s duty to connect with the public to thank them for their great effort to see us. We have a huge responsibility to get the emotion and that’s why we have to give our all when we go on stage. I try to absorb the energy that the public transmits to me, I go into a trance and give everything I have in my body, soul and heart. I want the people to leave happy and be able to remember that moment for a long time; and if I don’t understand that, I realize that I’m doing something wrong.
He embarks on an international tour that once again shows that his music knows no bounds.
Of course, music is a universal language, it is the way to unite all peoples and cultures. It is true that music reaches the heart if done from the inside. If not, it is not the fault of the people or culture in which we find ourselves, but the fault of the artist, who must always work on this idea, reaching the whole world. That’s why you have to work hard to connect with every single person in the audience.