RIYADH: American jazz legend Herbie Hancock hopes to expand his Music training program to Saudi Arabia, he revealed in an interview with Arab News.
“We would like to be present here in some way, you know, and have activities here,” Mr Hancock told Arab News.
“It would then be a place that I could visit and where I could leave my mark in one way or another. It would be absolutely extraordinary,” he added.
The 14-time Grammy Award winner was referring to UCLA’s Herbie Hancock Jazz Institute, a nonprofit educational organization that uses internationally renowned jazz masters to train promising young musicians.
Mr. Hancock made the comments during a week-long visit to Riyadh with Janis Siegel and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble.
The group performed at the capital’s King Fahad Cultural Center on Tuesday, alongside Saudi jazz singer Nourah Alammary, in an event organized in collaboration with the US Embassy in Riyadh and the Saudi Music Commission .
“She was fantastic… she has huge potential, she’s extremely talented. The way she improvised was really brilliant,” Mr Hancock said.
Of his experience in Riyadh, Mr Hancock said: “I was overwhelmed when I saw I didn’t have time to play: “I was overwhelmed by the incredible design of the building and by the futuristic aspects of its presentation, because there is a sense of history there, but also a sense of the future in its design. It was a really, really great experience.”
While in Riyadh, Ms. Hancock and the delegation also hosted a master class for Saudi music students at the Music Hub, a panel discussion on women in the arts with Saudi female artists, and an event with traditional Saudi musicians. at the Ahmed Mater studio.
“We went to Ahmed Matar’s studio and met some of the young students who work there, I saw his library,” he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of his equipment. Some of it is very old…that he bought over the years that he really mastered his craft. And I mean he’s a very learned person.
-“He had a bunch of jazz records, a bunch of my records that were there,” Mr. Hancock said.
When asked how his experience in the Kingdom was, Hancock replied with pride: “It’s really amazing. I was treated like a king, it’s really fantastic.”
Siegel highlighted his experience in the Kingdom, saying: “I have to say the people treated me like a king, it was really fantastic: “I have to say the people were very warm and welcoming.
“It’s just fantastic. I didn’t know what to expect, so I’m very happy.”
Commenting on her performance alongside Mr. Hancock at the King Fahad Cultural Center, Ms. Seigel said: “First of all, let me say that I am very happy to have been able to participate in this show: “Everything First, let me say that this is a magnificent room. She is breathtaking. The sound is also very good.
“I saw a sea of smiling faces. I had the impression that people were moved by the music and the rhythm, but they didn’t know how to express it… They seemed to really know and appreciate “Herbie’s contribution to the art form and his place in musical history,” Mr. Siegel said.
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney welcomed the visit: “Saudi Arabia’s cultural scene is evolving at an incredible pace, and welcoming a legend like Herbie Hancock is an important milestone.
“His music has inspired entire generations and his arrival bears witness to the remarkable cultural transformation of the Kingdom.
This text is the translation of an article published on Arabnews.com
