In this interview, we are honored to feature singer Faraj Keddah from the town of Al Hrak in Daraa province, in Syria’s Houran region. Over the past four decades, Keddah has become one of the defining voices of Hourani shaabi music. Born in 1974, he began performing at local weddings as a teenager, drawing on the rich musical traditions of Syria’s southern borderlands with Jordan and Palestine. His earliest performances were recorded on cassette and circulated locally, where his distinctive voice and regional repertoire earned him a devoted following. These raw, energetic cassette recordings from village parties soon brought him wider recognition, spreading his name beyond Daraa to Suweida, the Golan, Jordan, and beyond. His voice has remained a cornerstone of the region’s folk music. In our extensive conversation with Keddah, he reflects on the origins of his career and the pivotal role cassettes played in his rise to prominence. His story offers a lens into decades of musical collaboration, cassette distribution, and the evolving politics of performance across Syria and its diaspora. From local weddings to cassette stardom and regional tours, Faraj traces his path through Syria’s party circuit, the transformation of musical technologies, and the bittersweet impact of war and migration on his life and art. SCA / Yamen Mekdad: Hello Mr. Faraj, we’re honoured to be doing this interview with you. To start with, could you tell us more about your upbringing in Al Hrak – what was your first musical experience, and what were your first memories about music? Faraj Keddah: In my school music classes they discovered that I had a talent for singing. I loved art and my father was originally a poet, may he now rest in peace. He was the first to realise that I had art in me. His name was Ahmad Abdul Rahmah Alkaddah (Abo Arab). He was a poet, and it was he who recognised my singing ability. And the second was school. They used to send me to music competitions in Al Ruwad, so I would sing outside. I would perform at folk parties, things like that, and it was through that I was discovered. Alhamdulilah I succeeded in this, thanks to the people. Yamen: So it was through music classes at school, and Al Taliylie for example? Faraj: Of course Al Talayie (the Ba’ath Pioneers/Vanguards youth organisation that promoted cultural and physical education) was important. It was through Al Talayie, through music classes and through teachers. They would ask for me through my school - alhamdulillah, I was fortunate. Yamen: Did you have a radio in your house, do you remember listening to music with your family or in the village? Faraj: Certainly. I have always had a radio and cassette recorder. I always listened to songs on the radio, and I’d try to memorise those songs as much as I could, so I could sing them at school or at weddings and other occasions. Definitely. Yamen: What was the first music you remember in Al Hrak? Faraj: First, you could say it was through folk parties in our area. You know our customs and traditions in Houran – keyboard, music, mijwiz (double-reed pipe) and arghul (a long reed flute). This was how I started when I was around 15 or 16 years old, and the beginning of my success in this work. I was very attached to local parties, to the musical sittings, the family songs and these beautiful folk cultures – mijwiz, arghul, dabke, and other things. I was fortunate. Yamen: Before you started performing artistically in the 1990s, did you start out performing at weddings? Faraj: You could say that. It was a little earlier, around 1987, but we can call it 1990s. Yamen: You performed your first wedding in 1987? Faraj: That was my first wedding, my first party as they say. I sang, and they brought me the recorder and microphone, so this was recorded on cassette in 1987. Those folk parties were so beautiful, so simple. Yamen: In 1987 were you performing at parties with a keyboard? Faraj: No, no – the keyboard didn’t exist then. There was only the drum we call darbuka, mijwiz and arghul, gurba (bagpipes) and the shubbebe (cane flute). Yamen: Gurba too? Faraj: Yes, gurba was popular and often present. Yamen: Could you please explain what a gurba is for those who don’t know? Faraj: The gurba is an instrument made out of fabric with a reed flute attached to it. You play it by holding it under your armpit and blowing the flute, and it makes a very beautiful sound. Yamen: Yes, they call it bagpipes - they use it in Scotland, and in Jordan too. Faraj: Yes Yamen: So there were gurba, darbuka, mijwiz or arghul as they call it in Jordan and Palestine… Faraj: The Arghul is from Palestine originally. Gurba is famous in Jordan as well as Syria. Yamen: What’s the difference between mijwiz and arghul? Faraj: There is a huge difference in the sound because the reed is different. These days the mijwiz is made from metal, it’s short and contains some kind of metal piece. The arghul is longer and made of reeds that grow near lakes and water. They cut the reeds to make arghul. Yamen: Could you tell us about the style of music you were playing in 1987 at the weddings? Faraj: The songs we played were popular traditional music, folk styles, like as you mentioned, darbuka. The traditional folk style that we have in Houran, reflecting our customs and traditions. Yamen: Could you explain more about those Houran traditions, for example since the area is between Syria, Jordan and Palestine? Faraj: Yes, you can say that Jordan and Syria have a similar style that reaches the beginning of Damascus. Once you reach Damascus, there is a different style. Deir Ez Zur has a different style. Our own style is a traditional folk music that represents the customs and traditions of the country we live in. It’s different from the Damascene styles, the style in Deir Ez Zur. Our style is closer to Jordan like Ar-Ramtha and these areas that are closer to us in Jordan. Yamen: And how about Suweida and Qunaitra for example? Faraj: Yes, this is the same style in Suweida and Qunaitra, we all have similar styles. People from Suweida are close to us, the people of Daraa and the people of Houran. The same goes for Qunaitra because they are near the Houran. We all have the same style. But they consider the people of Qunaitra to be from Golan. It’s a part of Golan. You know what I mean? But we all have the same style. For example, I go to Suweida or Qunaitra to sing and they appreciate my singing. Why? Because we share the same styles. Yamen: So when you started performing in 1987, could you tell us about your first performance? How was it, what do you remember from it? Faraj: When I first started I was still in school, and sang traditional Hourani songs. Simple and pleasant songs in our traditional folk style. So I developed my work by attending events and weddings, and became more involved in music. Yamen: Did you play instruments? Faraj: Yes. I used to play oud and keyboard for example. I studied these instruments properly. I was most famous for folk ataba and mawaweel. Those are from our tradition. I developed myself and started singing all kinds of songs – for example, in the Palestinian dialect, the Iraqi dialect, the Egyptian dialect. I was constantly trying to keep myself up-to-date, and develop my work step by step. I started to learn songs beyond our popular songs, to introduce myself to the sounds and improve my work. Yamen: So you learned through school, and through Al Talayie youth organisations and festivals. You then started performing at weddings in 1987. You then got a recording offer and started recording cassettes? Faraj: Yes, sure. I recorded cassettes in 1987 and 1990 in Daraa governorate. I had what you might call a manager in Daraa in Houran. He would distribute those cassettes in Bosra Square in Daraa with Muhammad Al Rifai. Muhammad Al Bahloul and Muhammad Al Sharif. That was the beginning of my cassettes, and then later we started recording CDs. Yamen: Tell us more about this period after your first performance and how it started developing, how your name spread, and how you found your manager. Why did you want to have a manager? Faraj: So when I started in 1987, my voice was still very strong. And thank God, things are still going well. People had started to notice my talent, and things went well from there. I started releasing cassettes through broadcast. Yamen: What do you mean by broadcast? Faraj: I mean the sound system we used – speakers, microphone and a cassette to record on – a broadcast. Yamen: So you kept on making cassettes with which production company? You mentioned it was in Busra Square in Daraa. Faraj: It’s called Sahat Al Busra (Busra Square), managed by Mr. Muhammad Al Bahloul (Abo Husam) and Mr. Muhammad Al Shareef (Abo Dina). There was also someone who used to record cassettes for me (through broadcast) as I mentioned, named Anas Mahameed at Al Qimma Centre in Daraa governorate. The first cassette I recorded was in 1990. Yamen: Was that cassette recorded at a studio or at a party? Faraj: It was a folk party. In the 1990s I started recording in a studio. Yamen: What was your first cassette called, and how was the experience recording it? What musicians played with you, and how was it received by the public? Faraj: I had a musician who played with me in the 1990s, a keyboardist. You could say that time was the dawn of the keyboard. There was also mijwiz, a wireless microphone and a drum. After releasing this cassette, I had a good reaction from the audience. It was a cassette of traditional folk style songs from Houran. A lot of mijwiz. Yamen: Could you tell us about the period when you first dealt with keyboards? Faraj: Yes, I released CDs with gurba and keyboard. It used to be difficult in the days before the keyboard, with only the other instruments available. Once the keyboard became available in the 1990s, we were now able to create harmonies between a keyboard and a mijwiz. It would need an audio engineer. You had to have a sensitive musical ear to be able to harmonise the mijwiz with the keyboard. There were some difficulties at the beginning, but with practice we got it. We fixed things, and learned to harmonise mijwiz, gurba and arghul with the keyboard. In time, with the keyboard, reliance on the darbuka started to fade. Yamen: You mean the keyboard provided the rhythm? Faraj: Yes, the keyboard would play the rhythm for me. I mean, I stopped using a few instruments. For example, I dispensed with the drums. I still use drums occasionally. Yamen: You would use a full drum kit too? Faraj: Yes, I worked with these kinds of drums. I’d go to the parties with my musical band. If I was asked to sing with other artists, I would attend, but would have my own segment, because our popular folk styles are different from the party styles where a full musical band and a singer would be performing songs outside the scope of the folk genre. Yamen: Could you give us some examples? Faraj: For example, they would sing songs by Fahd Ballan and other Syrian singers. Yamen: Where were these parties taking place? At weddings or in halls? Faraj: In both places. We had small and simple halls, not like now. The diwan (guesthouse) of the Al Qudah family for example, was used for both celebrations and mourning. They would hold events and throw parties with a musical band, but would also use it for sad occasions, like a funeral ceremony. Yamen: But music was always associated with celebrations. Could you have a wedding without a musical party? Faraj: It could still happen. There are weddings without musical instruments, but it isn’t not the same as when there’s a band playing. Yamen: Could you have a party with a band even if there wasn’t a wedding? Or was music always connected with weddings? Faraj: You could have music without a wedding. Sometimes, if I felt like having a gathering without a celebration, I’d invite a keyboard player and the amplifier, then sit and sing. In the past I used to do that. Yamen: Do you invite people to attend, or is it just a family gathering? Faraj: Sometimes it was a local family gathering, and at other times, if I felt like it, I would invite friends and colleagues without an occasion, just to have some fun. Not like a big concert, just to try something new, test some new songs with the music, things like that. We would have been happy to come and record for you live! Yamen: Inshallah we will come and attend a wedding in Jordan soon. So when the first keyboards arrived, what was your impression of it? How did you feel about it, and how did you deal with it generally? Faraj: Honestly, I was happy. At the beginning, it could be tiring for the band, whether it was darbuka or mijwiz or keyboard, it was tiring. But when the keyboard rhythms became available, everything changed. The keyboard could play fast, whether I had mijwiz or not, whether I had shubbebe with me or not – the keyboard covers it all. The mijwiz player could sit and rest while the rhythmic music is still playing. The keyboard plays and the party continues. Previously, if the mijwiz or darbuka stopped, the party would stop. It was difficult. So it was sheer happiness when we saw that mijwiz could be played on a keyboard. It was beautiful, I was really happy, relieved. It was reassuring sound-wise and work-wise. Yamen: And who was the first keyboardist you worked with? Faraj: The first keyboardist I first worked with was Shihab Al Boush, a man from Damascus. There was also Mazen Al Masri, a keyboard player from our town in Houran. I recorded with him in 1987. In the 1990s there was also a mijwiz player with me, a Palestinian called Ashraf Abo Allail. He’s a friend of mine, and we still work together. There were also some other artists, such as a mijwiz player I worked with named Khalil Houshan (Abo Khaled). I worked with him for a long time, from 1993 to around 2004 or 2005. Yamen: Could you tell us about how you started performing at parties outside Al Hrak and how your name started becoming known? Faraj: My father was alive then, and I was just starting out. So I discussed the situation with him, and he told me I should continue to develop my talent, and develop the way I work, and not just remain in Al Hrak. He suggested I should expand beyond the town to become more well-known. So I started waiting for an occasion to play. For example, my neighbours would go to a wedding in Suweida or Qunaitra, and invite me to accompany them. I’d attend as a guest, so I wouldn’t sing at first. They would go to the party organiser and tell him that they had brought a child singer with them – his name is Faraj Kaddah – and ask if I could participate in the wedding. So I’d take permission from the singer they had invited to the wedding. And after the singer had performed, they’d call me up, thank God! I’d grab the microphone and start singing. And as I sang, I would look around and see that people around me were happy, saying things like “What a voice, mashallah! What is this!” That’s what kept me going and encouraged me to continue. I kept persevering with my art and singing, and started working hard to develop my career. I studied music and delved into new areas. I honestly worked very hard. Yamen: Where did you study music and who did you study with? Faraj: There was this music teacher, his name was Sameeh Kasabra in the town. He was a keyboardist and played all the musical instruments. He taught me how to memorise notes, and how to sing properly – how to sing Khaliji style or Iraqi style, everything. So, thankfully I reached a level where I started to sing all styles. I was lucky, honestly, thanks be to God and the people who supported me and introduced me to my audience. Yamen: And when did you start singing other styles, beyond the Hourani style? Faraj: You can say that around 2004, 2005, I started singing songs like the ones I recorded. For instance, I went to Kuwait and they asked me to sing in a Kuwaiti style. When I went to Jordan, there were styles especially for Jordanians – you can see that their weddings are mixed, whether Jordanian or Palestinian. So in Jordan I’d have to sing all these styles, the styles they liked. But at the beginning what made me famous was singing my own folk styles, the Syrian styles from Houran and Daraa. So Daraa governorate was my start, honestly. Yamen: What about Iraqi music and styles? Faraj: I mean, ataba and mijwiz are the most important. We came to know Iraqi styles and they followed our cassettes and CDs. We’d memorise all the songs. I used to sing the songs of other singers like Hatem Al Iraqi, Hussam Al Rassam, those famous artists that we are proud of. We consider Syria, Jordan, all these countries as one. We are one family and one country. Yamen: What effect do you think cassettes had on your work spreading? What was your relationship with production companies, what kind of agreements did you have? Faraj: They would come and talk to us. When I had to go record a cassette, they would buy it as a whole. For us, at the beginning, it was like a promotion. A way for us to gain some fame and let people know about us. Before we would think about the money or anything else. It was a publicity tool. You know what I mean? We cared about the publicity more than the money honestly. Yamen: Yes. So you recorded the first few cassettes for free, you’d record and give them to production companies for free. How did your cassettes travel to other governorates, or even within local towns? Did the company in Busra Square distribute it to other villages and towns? Faraj: We’d introduce ourselves to companies and go to their studios or shops. My band and I would record the cassettes and CDs, then give it to them. They’d ask what we wanted in return, and we’d say that we were looking for someone to distribute those cassettes outside. Thank God they promoted the cassette very well, and there was a big demand for the cassettes. They sold very well, so there was good publicity, and in the end we started to reap the benefits. If anyone wanted to record with us, we could then ask for money and state our terms. I had my manager with me, so we would ask for a price that suited the quality of the cassette and the band. Yamen: At what point did you have a manager, and how did you form your group? Faraj: I met my manager here in Jordan in the 1990s. I was invited to a party in Amman, Jordan, and at that party someone came over and introduced themselves, and asked if we could work together. He was the owner of a company named Al Ahlam, for its owner Ahmad Al Abdullah, here in Amman. He said they would like to record a cassette with me, and that they were ready for whatever I wanted to do. So I said, it’s an honour – I told them I needed to sort my affairs out, then I’d give them an answer. I attended the wedding then travelled back to Syria. He called me and said, “Mr Faraj, we would like to record a cassette with you, and I would also like to manage your work in Jordan - is it possible?” I told him this was no problem. I went to meet him in Amman, and thank God it went well, everything was ready and went well, just as we had hoped. We signed the contract together – this was around 2000…2001 or 2002. I signed the contract for five years, and received a deposit to work. He started taking me with him to the company to record a cassette, and he “paid a cassette to the company.” That means, we recorded at the company, and when he gave my cassette to them, he would receive his payment through that company. Yamen: Perfect. Before you signed a contract with this manager in Jordan, did you have a manager in Syria too? Faraj: There was a manager - I mean, he was the centre owner. His name was Muhammad Al Shareef. And Anas Mahameed, he was more of a party coordinator, not a manager as I have here, who writes contracts and so on. For example, someone calls me and asks me to play a folk party, a wedding. His brother’s wedding, for example. This kind of thing. I tell him to speak to Mr Anas Mahameed, give him the date, and he can fix it all for him. No contracts, nothing like that – he just sets the date and writes it on a piece of paper or on his phone that we have a wedding on that date, in such-and-such a place. They used to manage my work, but it’s not like now. Currently I have two managers, a Palestinian and a Jordanian. In Jordan I have a manager who organises my work in the UAE because I frequently come and go from there. I mean, if you could have come, we could have done this interview in person in Amman! Then I am travelling to Dubai, and later have another concert in Amman, then the UAE, then Oman. The music style is the same. There will be a keyboard, drums, mijwiz, and the speakers. I still have everything. Yamen: You were talking about your managers in Jordan and in Syria. Could you explain more about your coordinator in Syria - his responsibilities were to fix appointments, take care of the financial side of it, arrange the band and bring the sound system? Faraj: Yes, those were his responsibilities. He’d ask me, and I’d respond. If someone invited me to play a wedding, I’d tell him to talk to Mr Anas Mahameed. Anas Mahameed would tell him that we had keyboards, music, mijwiz, drums, everything you want – we were ready. He’d arrange it all orally, and tell the customer the cost of the wedding party. They’d arrange a meeting to agree on everything with Mr Anas and the company owner I used to work with. They’d meet at Al Qimma centre. Yamen: What was the name of the first cassette you recorded in a studio? When did you record it? Faraj: It was called “Mn ben kol albanat habetch rouhi” (“Out of All the Girls, My Soul Loved You”), a new song. I recorded it in the 1990s. Yamen: Did you write the lyrics or was it a traditional song? Faraj: No, those were my father’s lyrics. He was a poet and he wrote it for me. I had a few songs on that cassette about Houran and we still sing those songs. Yamen: And where was the studio? Faraj: The studio was here in Amman, Jordan, in Al Jamea street. I recorded it with Ahmad Al Abd. Yamen: When you started dealing with the two managers in Jordan, what was the difference between them and working in Syria? Was there a difference in financial or production abilities, or the amount of work you received? Faraj: For sure. When you travel from any country to another you’ll find differences. My childhood and my work started in Syria, from Daraa and Houran. When I came here, there were many developments. For example, my manager used to work with a company. We’d go to a folk party in a lounge, then the following week we would record in a studio. It was different. In terms of work, of payments and with the band. Everything, honestly. Yamen: So it was the first time you recorded in a studio in Amman… Faraj: And there was a huge difference in production. I used to record cassettes in Daraa but it was in the open air. It wasn’t inside a company building. Here in the nineties I worked with a company in a studio. We had headphones and everything – it was precise, and very beneficial to artistic work. Something beautiful. But at the beginning I used to record in a diwan or a guestroom in an empty house. Just like I’m talking to you now, quiet, so there was no background sound. You know what I mean? Just like you recording at home now. But here in 2000 I started recording in a studio – a professional studio that was impressively high end. Yamen: How did you become famous in Jordan? How many requests did you have to perform in Jordan? How many concerts were you performing between Daraa, Houran, Suweida and Jordan? Faraj: You know, we have customs in our town. Like, I’m Syrian and foreigners tend to be a little surprised, especially when everything is new and different to them. When I arrived in Jordan, my popularity grew significantly, thank God. My popularity was already strong in Syria, and things were going well for me. I had already been singing for 7 to 8 years, and was already well-known there. I entered Jordan strongly, in terms of songs and everything else. People were requesting my presence. For example, if you called to book me, you’d have to wait three months for a date. Yamen: So in the 1990s you’d have a concert every week? Faraj: Yes. I used to work three days every week. I’d work every day of the week, both then and now. For example, I’m talking to you now. Yesterday I played a party, today I’ll play a party and tomorrow I have one as well. And I have one the day after that. Today I’m playing a party in an area called Al Mafraq Thalil. Yesterday I was in Irbid. Yamen: And when did you start going to the Gulf countries? How did your popularity spread to the UAE? Faraj: Some notable people requested me through someone else. Someone called and invited me to their cousin’s wedding, saying they were fans and would like my presence there. Thank God, a good thing can’t be hidden from people. Yamen: Later, how was the transition from cassettes to CDs? How did it affect you, financially and in other ways? Faraj: There was a huge difference between the cassette and CDs. The cassette was good and had its benefits, but the CD was smarter and stronger. The techniques were better. And all the cars have CD players. But cassettes were what made me a hit, established my audience and spread my work. That was the work of the cassette, honestly. Yamen: Do you remember the VCD? Did you make any video recordings? What was this experience like – did you have a director on a shoot, and how did you edit or work with the production? Faraj: It was a nice experience. The company owner that I worked with in Jordan benefited a lot from it. We once made an audio-video CD through Ghinwa. He benefited a lot, even my manager benefited a lot. Yamen: How did it benefit him? It sold a lot? Faraj: Yes – I think he got 7000 Jordanian Dinar when the audio-video CD first hit the market. He sold it for 7000 Dinar. Yamen: Do you mean the first copy or the total sales? Faraj: No, just the copy. The company asks for a copy – it was Ahmad Al Abdullah’s company. We recorded it and he sold it for seven thousand. Yamen: And after that, how did it develop over time? Faraj: It developed – they saw that I performed well, worked hard and had good CD sales. So in 2004 he recorded me again. And in 2006 and in 2010 he recorded for me. So I started recording every year. For example, in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, I released CDs and my manager benefited from them. He benefited whenever I played a folk party or released a CD, and he paid me a lot for my work. He paid me well for my recordings, and after they were successful, he benefited from them too. Yamen: With all this work, were there copyrights? Faraj: Yes there were copyrights, of course. He held it – no one could make copies or take anything but him. Yamen: So there were copyrights in Jordan, unlike in Syria. Faraj: Yes there were. It wasn’t acceptable for someone to come and claim someone else’s work. Yamen: How did you find this difference? There’s a huge difference in terms of copyright between Syria and Jordan, for example with payments. Would you tell us about this? Faraj: Of course. There was a big difference between Syria and Jordan when it came to this – for me, I didn’t have to deal with copyrights anywhere but Jordan honestly. Yamen: How did the war in Syria affect your work and stability? Faraj: It definitely affected me, but I continued my presence on Facebook, with CDs and weddings. It had an impact, honestly. It has affected my work, and psychologically – we are tired psychologically honestly, because of the circumstances we have been through. Yamen: Yes. And how did you start building an online presence through Facebook, Youtube and so on? Faraj: In the past it wasn’t like this. I got into Facebook and the rest when it first started, and tried to share my work on there to see if people accepted it. And now we have so many platforms, Facebook, TikTok, all these online platforms to build a presence. So there is a nice audience for the work we do, and thank Allah, things went back to normal. I mean, our parties came back, things in Syria are calmer. Things in Syria, Jordan and the Gulf are better thank God. They went back to normal. Yamen: Can you tell us about your life in Jordan across the last decade? Do you perform for the Syrian community in Jordan? Faraj: Of course. Yesterday my Jordanian manager was with me, and we attended a party for Syrian refugees. It was for people from Daraa Houran, and it was very, very nice. Today for example, I play a party for Jordanians. We work with everybody. I mean, when someone asks us to perform for the Syrian refugees in Zaatari camp or Azraq refugee camp, we definitely go. Whoever asks for us, we are ready. Yamen: Thank you. There is one cassette we have for you from Qasr Al Turath company in Suweida, do you remember this company? Faraj: Yes. Yamen: Can you tell us a bit about it? What work did they do and who owned it? When you would perform in Suweida, what were the parties and music like there? Faraj: Wallah, parties in Suweida were very nice. Their traditions and customs are just like ours. The company you asked about was owned by our friend, Mr. Khaldoun Al Abbas from Suweida. He is a brother and a friend who used to work extremely hard with us. We’d go with our band to his company and he recorded our cassettes, as well as the weddings and folk parties we would perform. Suweida parties were just like playing Daraa, because Daraa and Suweida were one. The folk parties were very enjoyable. In Suweida, their parties were mixed, not separated in terms of men and women. Their parties were wonderful, and filled with love and respect. When you sing at a party in Suweida, you feel like you are singing for your family. The Suweida people have a real taste in art. Yamen: And how many cassettes did you do with Qasr Al Turath? Faraj: There were several cassettes, quite a lot. Yamen: And can you tell us about your relationship with Golan – you used to perform there too? Faraj: Golan parties were organised through a friend of mine, a mijwiz artist named Khalil Al Housan (Abo Khalid). He was very famous, and had a strong following. A mijwiz and arghul player in Golan, in Qunaitra. Their parties were so nice, sweet and popular. Like Suweida, they have mixed parties. Their parties were a pleasure to play, and you honestly felt success in the work. It was beautiful. Yamen: Were the weddings in Golan mixed too? Faraj: Yes, they were mixed too. As I told you, our customs from Suweida to Daraa to Golan are shared. We had mixed parties. Men and women attended the parties together, unlike now whether in Jordan or Syria, you’ll find that they separate men from women. Yamen: When did this separation start to happen? Faraj: It started five or six years ago, not too long ago. Yamen: And what was the reason for it? Faraj: The reason is that life changed, everything changed. In the past, when your father and mine attended parties, there wasn’t this kind of sensitivity. There was no separation between clans and families. Now this generation’s young men make a lot of chaos at parties, and offend others. Some misbehave at the parties to reach the women, to show off. And so that’s why they separate men and women, because of the trouble it caused, and so that the party will go well and all clans feel comfortable attending. So that not only my clan, but different clans can attend the wedding without any disturbances. So that no one thinks that troublemakers are trying to cause disruption between the clans. Yamen: Have you performed in Damascus and the other governorates? Faraj: Yes. In Damascus I’ve performed in Set Zaynab, Sahnaya, Nahr Eshe, Shebaa and all those places. A lot of places. I have performed a lot in Damascus, there’s almost no place I haven’t played there. Yamen: Did you work with Farah Al Shammaa as a production company? Faraj: Yes I worked with them through a friend, my manager, Anas Mahameed. He introduced me to them. Yamen: And how was the experience? Faraj: It was very good. Yamen: What were you working together on? Faraj: We worked with them and recorded many wonderful folk parties, but the partnership didn’t last long to be honest. Yamen: You recorded live at a wedding or in the studio? Faraj: We recorded wedding and folk songs in the studio. Yamen: Thank you for your time Mr Faraj. Faraj: It’s very nice to know you my brothers. I wish that we could record something especially for you, something with my band. Yamen: We would be honoured to have this time with you.