Abbadi Al-Johar

Abbadi Al-Johar is a Saudi singer and oud player who took part in official national and cultural events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, among them the operettas of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture (Janadriyah), the Saudi Seasons concerts, and festivals of the Music Commission, the General Entertainment Authority and the Ministry of Culture [1][4][7][11].

He is associated with the oud in both performance and teaching, and he was included in official initiatives documenting the history of Saudi song and its pioneers [5][6].

Abbadi Al-Johar performed the operetta 'Land of Love and Peace' at the opening ceremony of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture (Janadriyah) in its twenty-second edition (1428 AH/2007), alongside the artists Mohammed Abdo, Khalid Abdulrahman and Abbas Ibrahim and Saudi folk-arts troupes [1].

The operetta was written by the poet Khalaf bin Mohammed Al-Khalaf, composed by the artist Rabeh Saqer, with screenplay and dialogue by Alaa Hamza, under the vision and direction of Ftais Baqna, and comprised 11 tableau scenes interspersed with a dramatic scene [2].

After the performance, those who took part in the operetta — artists, composer, director and crew — had the honour of greeting the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques [1].

A concert by Abbadi Al-Johar and Khalid Abdulrahman was held at the celebrations square in the Al-Rifaa district of Arar, as part of the Saudi Seasons tours organised by the General Entertainment Authority, which reached the Northern Borders Region (1440 AH/2019) [7].

During Riyadh Season, he attended the tribute session for His Royal Highness Prince Badr bin Abdulmohsen at 'Laylat Al-Badr', where he was among the foremost Saudi artists present (1441 AH/2019) [3].

The Culture and Arts Association in Dammam launched 'Watariyat', the first Gulf festival devoted to stringed instruments, naming its first edition the 'Abbadi Al-Johar Edition'. It included a keynote symposium titled 'Abbadi Al-Johar: The Power of the String and the Intelligence of the Melody', and a musical ensemble named 'Watariyat Abbadi' (1441 AH/2019) [8].

He attended the closing ceremony of the festival, which was named the 'Dr. Abbadi Al-Johar Edition', in the presence of the association's director, the winners and the honourees [9].

Abbadi Al-Johar, together with the artist Ahmed Fathi, gave educational sessions on playing the oud as part of the Riyadh Oud Festival organised by the General Entertainment Authority in cooperation with the Music Commission (1444 AH/2023) [5].

In the 'Saudi Music Memory' initiative, the Music Commission listed him among the artistic names that lived through the early periods of Saudi song, and he gave documentary interviews for the initiative on the stories of the beginnings and the role of the pioneers (1445 AH/2024) [6].

Abbadi Al-Johar attended the second virtual meeting of the 'Musiqana' forum organised by the Music Commission, within periodic meetings between cultural bodies and Saudi creatives (1441 AH/2020) [4].

He took part with the Iraqi artist Naseer Shamma in a Saudi-Iraqi musical dialogue as part of the 'Between Two Cultures' festival organised by the Ministry of Culture at Riyadh Boulevard (1446 AH/2024) [11].

The 'Abbadi Al-Johar Theatre' in Jeddah hosts official events, among them the fourth edition of the 'Al-Waleema' festival for Saudi food organised by the Culinary Arts Commission (1446 AH/2024) [10].

Q: Who is Abbadi Al-Johar? A: A Saudi singer and oud player who took part in official national and cultural events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [1][7].

Q: Which operetta did he perform at the National Festival for Heritage and Culture? A: He performed the operetta 'Land of Love and Peace' at the opening ceremony of the twenty-second edition (1428 AH/2007), alongside Mohammed Abdo, Khalid Abdulrahman and Abbas Ibrahim and Saudi folk-arts troupes [1].

Q: What is his connection to the oud? A: He gave educational sessions on playing the oud as part of the Riyadh Oud Festival (1444 AH/2023), and the first edition of the 'Watariyat' festival was named the 'Abbadi Al-Johar Edition' (1441 AH/2019) [5][8].

Q: Where were his concerts held? A: A concert of his with Khalid Abdulrahman took place at the celebrations square in the Al-Rifaa district of Arar as part of Saudi Seasons (1440 AH/2019) [7].

Q: What is the 'Saudi Music Memory' initiative? A: An initiative of the Music Commission that listed him among the artistic names that lived through the beginnings of Saudi song and who provided documentary accounts from that period (1445 AH/2024) [6].

Between 1428 AH/2007 and 1446 AH/2024, Abbadi Al-Johar took part in operettas of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture, festivals of the Music Commission, the General Entertainment Authority and the Ministry of Culture, and Saudi Seasons concerts, alongside his contributions to initiatives documenting Saudi song [1][4][5][6][7][8][10][11].

Related topics on the platform include Talal Maddah, Tariq Abdulhakim, Saudi Ardah and Saudi Vision 2030 [1][6].