Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother

Musical universe

Fifty years after her death, the significance of the Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum (c. 1900–1975) remains indescribably vast. She is the ultimate icon of classical Arabic music. Her songs form the soundtrack of countless lives, and her popularity in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arab diaspora far surpasses that of the greatest opera and pop stars in the West.

For the new music theatre production Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother, composer Bushra El-Turk and director Kenza Koutchoukali weave her influential musical universe with the novel Visage retrouvé by renowned writer and director Wajdi Mouawad.

Oum Kalthoum’s voice holds a special place in the hearts of many Amsterdammers with Arab roots, yet her music is rarely heard on the city’s stages. With this music theatre production, the Amsterdam Andalusisch Orkest, Meervaart, and Dutch National Opera aim to pay tribute to this iconic singer.

The story

Nineteen-year-old Wahab struggles through a nighttime snowstorm on his way to the hospital where his mother lies dying. He had long resigned himself to the fact that their relationship was a mess. But tonight, he realises that if he ever wants to reconcile with his mother, he must confront his deepest fears.

On his journey, Wahab carries deep in his heart – though unconsciously – the song Al-Atlal (“The Ruins”) by Oum Kalthoum. This song embodies the sorrow of a lost home, the yearning for love, and ultimately the promise of reconciliation amidst the fragments of a broken relationship.

Groundbreaking artists

At the request of Dutch National Opera, the Amsterdam Andalusisch Orkest, and Meervaart, director Kenza Koutchoukali brought together a team of groundbreaking artists. Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother is based on the novel Visage retrouvé by writer and theatre maker Wajdi Mouawad, known in the Netherlands for his plays Branden and Vogels. Composer Bushra El-Turk, winner of the 2024 Ivor Novello Award for her opera Woman at Point Zero, ingeniously interweaves the song Al-Atlal into the score of this music theatre production: sometimes clearly recognisable, at other times a distant echo.

Surrounded by the Amsterdam Andalusisch Orkest, actress Nadia Amin (nominated for the Theo d’Or 2023) and singers Ghalia Benali, Dima Orsho, and Bernadeta Astari guide the audience through Oum Kalthoum’s musical world in a coming-of-age story about the search for identity, reconnecting with one’s roots, and reconciling with a long-lost mother (oum in Arabic).

750 years of Amsterdam

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother is an initiative by Dutch National Opera, the Amsterdam Andalusisch Orkest, and Meervaart. This music theatre production is an ode to a hidden icon on Amsterdam’s largest stage – a gift to the city as part of the celebrations marking 750 years of Amsterdam.