The distinctive style of the Shibly Band is a blend of traditional
Arabic music with a jazz influence. Their music strives to combine the sounds
of the ud (an ancestor of the European lute), violin, saxophone, double bass
and percussion to bridge the gap between traditionalism and modernism, the
orient and the occident.
With Ali Shibly as the frontman, the Shibly Band mainly performs
their own compositions and has primarily made a name for themselves with
their live performances. However, this did not stop their Nostalgia CD, recorded
in May 2000, from becoming a sell-out hit.
The band can be described as a modern ensemble version of the larger Arabic
orchestras made popular throughout the East by legendary singer Oum Kulthum.
Shibly Band present day interpretation expands on this traditional
style of music, creating a more modern up-beat sound.
When performing the piece Taxim, each musician uses the underlying melody
Maqam as a foundation for their own improvisation. This style of music originates
from the era of the Abbasids (749-1257 ACE) when people met to play music
together. The musicians used specific scales to adapt their Magamat to match
the social status of those present. The Shibly Band predominantly uses
the Eastern scale Hugas which originates from the Mecca region.
The band has been enjoying ever-growing popularity following their performance
at the Acoustic Festival in Skopje (AFIS) and several appearances throughout
northern Germany.