In the evening we get a chance to listen to some taarab music, a style with both Arabic and African roots, and with Indian influences. We find a place where it’s played, and after removing our shoes we sit on pillows and eat the food served on a plate on the floor. Three musicians play for us, violin, handdrum and a sort of a zither. The songs slither like in oriental tunes but the rhythm is more African.
Suddenly a familiar tune pops up on the repertoire. It’s extremely similar to an old Norwegian folk tune called “Per spelman”. The language of music is truly international!