Morhaf Al Achckar
Mabsoota

indie arabic rock / oud / syria / arabic / world

Morhaf is an oud player, composer, and songwriter. He was born and raised in Syria, where he started playing the oud at age 19. With 20 years of experience, Morhaf collaborates extensively, writing songs and performing for and with artists, bellydancers, and musicians in the PNW.

Morhaf also is a family doctor and a professor at the University of Washington. He holds a Ph.D. in education. He’s published four books, “Roads to Meaning and Resiliency with Cancer,” “Being Authentic: A Memoir,” “A Love Attempt,” and “I Live To Laugh, Thus I Let Go!” Morhaf was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2016; he was 33. His cancer brought a sense of urgency to do and say what he wanted without waiting. Music and singing became an outlet for self-expression, just as much as writing.

David Beach, also a stage IV lung cancer survivor, and the founder of Lung Record, invited Morhaf to a recording session. Being overwhelmed with a recent heartbreak, Morhaf was about to cancel the Sunday scheduled session. Upon Beach’s insistence, Morhaf kept the time. On Friday night, Morhaf decided to use his imagination and write the songs that, if he sang to his beloved lady, she could have him back. He wrote five songs and contemplated two music pieces. Later, Morhaf added three more songs and improvisational taqseems to complete the album, which was recorded in January.

While his attempt to restore the lost love did not succeed, Morhaf wanted the album to come out to celebrate the memory of an intensely human experience. Yes, you can be a stage IV lung cancer patient and still fall in love and experience a major heartbreak. Music does not necessarily heal, but it keeps the memory cherished and celebrated.

In his music, Morhaf sends an invitation to the world to push forward with living, loving and finding meaning. Morhaf dreams that more people sing and hum to their beat. His choices of simple words, simple music, and simple beats say that songs are possible for everyone.

Recording the album with Raymond Richards, Ji Tanzer, Leon Kotter, Michelle Alany, and Joshual Mellinger added flavors and funk that resonated well with Morhaf’s story: an Arabic musician who lived two-thirds of his adult life in the United States. The western beats and sounds are just as much him as the Arabic ones.