In collaboration with Rotana, Assala sings for heritage

Singer Assala opens a new chapter with her audience through the gateway of heritage, as she prepares to release a new album in collaboration with Rotana, dedicated to celebrating Syria’s musical legacy. The album features 14 songs that showcase the diversity of colors, rhythms, and dialects that distinguish Syria’s various governorates.

Assala has selected a collection of songs embedded in the Syrian popular memory, including “Ala Dal’ouna,” “Arab Al-Sharqiya,” “Halwa W Talatuk Dhalal,” and “Hatti ‘ala al-nar ya Jidda,” alongside other traditional works that have undergone new arrangements and musical treatments.

The songs retain their original identity in their new form, while contemporary musical touches give them a different treatment, bringing them closer to today’s audience without losing their traditional character. The album presents a broad musical portrait of Syria’s cultural diversity, moving between styles and dialects inspired by Aleppo, Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Daraa, Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Damascus, and several other governorates.

The musical arrangements were crafted by Yazan Al-Sabbagh, Benkin Saleh, Ziad Abbas, and Ahmed Diya, in an effort to present Syria’s heritage through a modern musical vision that simultaneously preserves its distinctiveness.

The album’s release holds particular significance given its connection to Assala’s return to the Syrian scene. The project’s launch coincides with the concert “Assala’s Return to Her Homeland, Syria,” through which she prepares to reconnect with her Syrian audience after a 15-year absence.