يوسف شمعون Yousef Shamoun

Yousef Shamoun was born in Aleppo, Syria. Aleppo is home to a strong tradition of composing and singing the Muwashshahat and the Qudud Halabiyya. It is also known for its Tarab, a musical style which means “enchantment.” Yousef belongs to the school of great Aleppian singers such as Sabah Fakhri, Mohamad Khairy, Bakry Kurdi and Omar al-Batsh, among many others.

He was also inspired by the Syriac tradition of religious chanting. As a deacon in the Syriac Church, Yousef was also inspired by the Syriac tradition of religious chanting.

Yousef is known for both his mastery of the mawwal (non-metric vocal improvisation) and for his powerful rendition of Arabic Maqam. Yousef is passionate about both preserving the classical tradition of Muwashshahat while also experimenting and innovating with their style and structures.
Yousef took it upon himself to re-arrange a collection of Muwashahat and traditional Classical musical pieces in a contemporary style, without straying from the roots and origins. These Tarab Medleys received positive feedback from the younger generation and reached a new audience of both Arab and non-Arab origins.Yousef Shamoun has been performing a series of nights of Tarab at several venues including Columbia University, Princeton University, Harvard University, Rubin Museum of Art which was organized by My Dream Speaks, (le) Poisson Rouge in New York, as well as at the Turaath Night organized by the Arab-Anti-Discrimination Committee Gala in Washington D.C., among other venues and events. Those concerts carried an important musical, cultural and social message.