Syrian ‘music sultans’, WFP team up to serve food cause

AMMAN — Art is an important tool to bring about joy and happiness among communities and a strong tool to draw people’s attention towards charitable activities, Syrian artist Mostafa Al Sagheer has said.

Sagheer, the director of the Syrian group Salateen Al Tarab (sultans of singing), said the dire conditions of their country and the region have prompted them to take to music for the sake of spreading joy and happiness.

Salateen Al Tarab performed a show at Amman’s Landmark Hotel that included songs from the region with the aim of raising funds for the World Food Programme (WFP).

“The group was founded in 1992 and its members were forced to separate following the instability in Syria with some members forced to leave either to Canada or Gulf countries. When I came to Jordan, I decided to bring together the members and added new Jordanian members as well,” he added.

Faten Hindi, of the WFP, said the aim behind the event was to raise funds for the WFP’s activities that both target refugees and local community.

She said the organisation’s activities are geared also towards raising awareness of the role of art, in addition to food issues facing the world.

Hindi noted that around 1 million Jordanian and Syrian people benefit from their services in the Kingdom.

Mary Nazzal Batayneh, of the Landmark Hotel, said she thought that there is a need to use as many diverse activities as possible to mobilise people to support causes like those inherent in the WFP’s mandate.

“I think tonight is just a beautiful night of music to draw attention to the amazing work that the WFP is doing,” she added.