My dear friend Roman Bunka, a great guitarist, aoud (lute) player and composer, came to town and we visited one of his mentors and collaborators, Abdu Dagher, in an old Cairo neighbourhood. Originally from Tanta (a Delta town associated with a Sufi saint loved by musicians, dancers, and hashish-smokers) Abdu is neither rich nor particularly famous. But what a musician! A masterful violinist and aoud player, he also makes these instruments for which, although he had no formal training, he has composed works of surpassing passion, precision and intricacy.
Blunt and ironic, Abdu knows his worth and thinks those who don’t are idiots, especially those in power. Because of his outspoken politics, he has been marginalized by the toadies of the Ministry of Culture and for most of his 50-year career his concerts have been rare. Yet thanks in part to Roman, who arranged performances in Europe, Abdu Dagher’s work has been recorded and he attracts avid students and aficionados from around the world.
