George Woff ... Wrote a New Chapter in the History of "Jerash"

The “Sultan of Song,” George Wassouf, returned to the Southern Theater at the Jerash Festival on Saturday evening, writing a new chapter in the festival’s history after a three-year absence. His performance marked one of the most attended and impactful evenings of the 40th edition, with stands packed with an enthusiastic audience that welcomed him with chants and applause hours before he took the stage. He opened his concert with the song “Ya Biya’een al-Hawa” (O Sellers of Love).

Accompanied by his musical band led by Lebanese maestro Eli Elia, Wassouf presented a vocal program featuring some of his most prominent works, which have become part of the collective memory of Arabic music. The Southern Theater stands echoed with songs such as “Bet’at’ebni ‘ala kalima” (You Reprimand Me Over a Word), “Tabib Jirah” (Surgeon of the Heart), and “Al-Hawa Sultan” (Love is the Sultan), which the audience sang along to with great enthusiasm.

The evening continued with another selection of songs that cemented Wassouf’s stardom, including “Khasirtu kull al-nas” (I Lost Everyone), “Bestanna bil-yawm wal-yawmayn” (I Wait for Today and the Day After), “Qalb al-‘Ashiq Daliluh” (The Lover’s Heart is His Guide), and “Rda bil-naseeb” (Be Content with Fate), before setting the atmosphere ablaze with the song “Halween min yawmina wallahi” (Sweet, I Swear, Since Our Day).

Wassouf did not withhold from his fans by fulfilling their requests, rounding out the night with additional songs such as “Jarahunna” (They Wounded Us), “Hud Yansa Qalbuh” (Who Can Forget His Heart?), “Kada Kafa” (That’s Enough), and “Kalam al-Nas” (People’s Talk), which turned into a massive group chorus involving thousands of attendees, marking one of the most thrilling moments of the concert.

The Sultan of Song concluded his evening with a selection of his most famous works, including “Hilf al-Qamar” (The Moon’s Oath) and “Ay Dam’at Huzn La” (No Tear of Sadness), before closing the concert with the song “Khali ‘Indak Khabar” (Keep a Secret).