A wonderful portrait of Dhafer Youssef, a Tunisian Ode player. I think there is an intimate and special relationship between this wonderful instrument and its player (the guitar has this relationship too)... that's because you place it on your lap just like a child that wants to play with you... you embrace it with your arms just like you would embrace your lover... and most importantly you hold it close to your heart so that whatever you play really comes from your heart.
I remember I heard from a teacher that an Ode is actually a living being; the sound of an Ode changes with age just like humans... it has feelings just like humans; if you leave an Ode for a long time without playing it gets sad and depressed and the strings will loosen up... its responsive and interactive just like humans; the sounds it produces depends on how the player hits the strings... its a very spontaneous instrument that can help a person pour his heart out like no other instrument.
When I saw this picture all those thoughts came back to my mind... the light at the centre between the Ode and the man's bald head is very moving... it shows how an Ode and a musician can shine together... their relationship is like the sun and the moon... the Ode being the moon that can't survive without the musician's creativity... or perhaps is it the musician who can't survive without the Ode's delicate sound?
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