Articles

Ayoub Tarish Al-Absi is a famous Yemeni musician who sang for Yemen (the homeland), the Yemeni individual, and Yemeni culture. Tarish’s songs have enriched the musical heritage of Yemen with dozens of creative and sincere songs, many of which he composed, played, or directed. 

Yemen has witnessed a tumultuous decline in art production in the past 5 years. The country is overly consumed by the war and many actors in Yemen have been fragmented as they fuel the war machine, incitement, and conflict and they are turning their backs on everything related to art and peace which has caused disappointment and misery for music makers and art lovers in the country. 

Tarish’s songs have always depicted and illustrated the human scene in Yemen and the love of the Yemeni people for their country through national songs that emphasize the continuity of life. And during the war, the sound of his music challenged the sound of bullets and the destruction of war. In recognition of Ayoub Tarish’s exceptional work and artistic career, The Tawakkol Karman Foundation and the Yemeni Bilqis TV Channel held a special celebration to honor his work being an instrument of peace. 

In her speech at the event, Mrs. Tawakkol Karman said: “I participated in many events and I have given many speeches in the four corners of the world, but today I feel terrified as I stand in front of Ayoub Tarish Al-Absi. Ayoub our generational icon, the tone of our emancipation, the republic pioneer, and the Yemeni unity anthem.”

She added: “Ayoub is a history of art and a promise for the future of Yemen, Great Yemen, the one that is present in Ayoub’s work, its history, revolution, and more, and that must be achieved in the coming time. Great Yemen will be constantly achieved through his living music that does not die, his art that mirrors and store memory of the country’s beauty, and a through which we see ourselves in an unquenchable glow”

she continued, “The pioneer artist's generation has been an expression of the new life with the birth of the Republic Yemen after decades of Imamate rule and its darkness, and the injustices of colonialism…And as we learn from our history, art and peace come together and live together and our setbacks have always had two sides, the inside, and the other outside … Art is our memory and Ayoub is our voice that keeps reminding us of who we are like people who do not, we are the nation that does not die and that refuses to be defeated in the face of oppression, injustice, and darkness”

And she added, “Let's return to art” “When compared to art, politics becomes smaller in the face of art, as well as war…when Ayoub attends, all art attends, behind this beautiful humility, is a glorious history of creativity, brilliance, and artistic achievements, so is not merely a history of a Yemeni artist, it is a history of a nation”

The ceremony was attended by a large audience who are fans of Ayoub’s art and music. Ayoub's last song was performed and entitled ‘Our Slogan is Humanity.’ The ceremony included various artistic performances, Ayoub was honored by TKF with a sum of $20,000.