Born in 1918, Sabri Moudallal (1918 – 2006) grew up in the tradition of Aleppo and joined the musical transmission of the muezzins who are so important in preserving the heritage in this city.
Moudallal has been a soloist in the Aleppo radio since it was founded in 1947, then he was designated as a muezzin at the ‘Abbara Mosque, a post which he held during many years. This mosque located in the heart of the new city in the business district permitted to hear him five times a day as his voice inundated through space. At that time, he had formed a small group of munshidin (hymn orators) specialized in religious repertory. With this group he would perform mainly at weddings as he would participate in Aleppo mosques during the month of Ramadan at religious chant sessions. 1975 was the first time he came to Paris with his group as a guest of the Autumn Festival. His group was called the Aleppo Muezzins. Although it was under this name that he became known in the West, people at home still continued to call him Sabri Moudallal. From then on, international fame put him at the zenith and opened new horizons for him. He travelled every corner of the world and sang not only in Hong-Kong, but also in Geneva, Berlin, Tunis and Heraklion…
Available album : Songs from Aleppo