The Rum Tarek Al-Nasser Group plays some kind of mix between traditional arab music and western influences, too globalized for my taste – I can imagine it as a background music in a coffeeshop, but for me to listen to such sounds, the different pieces needed to be more diverse and idiosyncratic. Yesterday the orchestra was in concert in Amman’s ancient Roman Theatre, dating from the 2nd century AD. Attending the event was definitely worthwile – not so much because of the performance (also the acoustics were not that good), but because of the overall atmosphere.

The view is amazing – Amman at its best – and the spectators gave me the feeling to witness something real, a part of local culture. At the first moment when the orchestra started, some spectators started clapping rhythmically. The short interruption during prayer time intensified that feeling of witnessing something ‘that we don’t have in the west’. One of the security guys told us that we were sitting in the section that was actually envisaged for families, not for friends – another reminder of the fact that you can, of course, still find somethind different than the sometimes over-dominating western culture.

It made me happy to see the people cheering and clapping, and towards the end of the concert many stood up, and some people managed to get on the started some dance in front of the stage.