“Abdel Halim Was Like a Rock Band”: Egyptian-Australian Virtuoso Joseph Tawadros on Reinventing the Oud

“Abdel Halim Was Like a Rock Band”: Egyptian-Australian Virtuoso Joseph Tawadros on Reinventing the Oud

Was Abdel Halim Hafez, Egypt’s most celebrated classical singer, actually a rockstar? With his crisp black suits and neatly styled hair, few would ever label him as one. Yet for Joseph Tawadros, the Egyptian-born Australian multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso, the term ‘rockstar’ stretches far beyond its modern-day image. It takes just a few seconds to judge an artist by their appearance or the instrument they hold. Looking at Abdel Halim Haf…