The sound of the Piccolo fell silent… Musician Osama Babiker mourns the late with love

Sudan Events – Magda Hassan

Sudanese musician Osama Babiker, known as Osama Piccolo, died on Thursday.
Musicians and artists mourned their late colleague, who was famous for playing the piccolo, one of the smallest instruments in the flute family.
Osama Piccolo was famous for his songs in the band of the late singer Mohamed Al-Amin, and he gained great popularity among the fans of the singer Mohamed Al-Amin.
During his artistic career, Osama Babiker produced a music album for the piccolo instrument called (Something on My Mind), which included 12 pieces of music.

Politeness

The musician Dr. Kamal Youssef is his teacher who deeply mourned him, and loved him in playing the flute. Perhaps the most notable thing Kamal Youssef said is that his art is known to everyone, but his morals and high literature are another story. “When you are in the company of Professor Osama Babakir Al-Toum (Osama Piccolo), you can only be smiling and polite.” He said. “You are in the company of one of the kindest and most polite people, and the most tasteful and most elegant in his form, appearance and essence. I have never dealt with the biography of Osama Piccolo except from the angle of the great literature that marked his character and became its most prominent feature. His art and excellence in playing is well-known and well-known to everyone, but literature and high taste. Osama is something that is often talked about and used as an example among his colleagues and those who knew him closely. Osama is one of my teachers who loved me about the flute. Although he is famous for the piccolo instrument, he played the flute with Wardi in the early eighties and recorded a special mark that added to what my teachers, Salah, bin Albdya, Dahab and Wahid Jaafar Fadl Al-Mawla have created.” He added.

Search and success

Art critic Taher Muhammad Ali wrote in farewell to the beautiful Osama Babiker “Piccolo”: “Our friend Osama Babiker “Piccolo” was fond of art and a lover of beauty, life and music. He planted his tunes in the ears of lovers and the hearts of those who cared for the songs of the artist Muhammad Al-Amin, and perhaps some of them would come to his concerts in the Officers’ Club in Central. Khartoum to listen to the voice of “Piccolo”. A love bond became between them, which they called the Association of Friends and Fans of Osama Piccolo. Perhaps most of the artists whom Osama accompanied in playing were beautifying the orchestra’s performances, and then he succeeded in issuing a special album of purely musical pieces. I liked his constant search for innovation, additions, and popularization. The spirit and culture of Sudanese art, benefiting from his studies at the Institute of Music and Theater, where he published a book entitled “Learning the ABCs of Music” for beginners and amateurs, and published a collection of pieces and albums, including “A Thing of Joy.” He dreamed of developing music and spreading it globally. May God have mercy on Osama and grant him a spacious place in Paradise. His sensitive heart was exhausted by the devastation and diaspora that had befallen Sudan, and the separation from his teacher, Wad Al-Amin, and their beautiful city, “Madani Al-Sunni,” which they shared with Fayrouz’s eyes and her wedding ring and left as plunder to the wanderers. Osama, with his handsome image, his soaring spirit, and his tireless perseverance, and his immortal piece, “Morning of Eid,” will remain in our memories with us every day.”

A world of love

On the other hand, Musab Al-Sawy said that with the departure of the inimitable musician Osama Babiker Al-Toum (Piccolo), Bahrat’s pages will be turned in the book of Sudanese music and creativity. “The artist Osama was not just a musician, but rather a world of love and beautiful human communication with the artistic and media family in all the colors of its creative spectrum.” He added.
“The value of Osama Piccolo lies in reviving the piccolo instrument and returning it to the Sudanese Orchestra in a renewed and unique guise. The last era of the orchestra in the days of good memory was the musician Musa Muhammad Ibrahim, whose great manifestations and miniatures on the piccolo were preserved by the ear in the bed of Othman Hussein Al-Ha’ir and in the song creations of the sixties as a whole, and in Musa’s own melodies for Al-Bulbul in Khatam Al-Muna and in the singing of Abu Dawud and Othman Mustafa.” He added.
He said that Osama was able to pour new wine into old bottles from the ancestors of this magical instrument through his participation in the orchestra of Muhammad Al-Amin and Salah Ibn Al-Badia in a contemporary version, in addition to that he is one of the best writers of the score and conduct of the musical band, which are abilities he acquired with charisma that combines control, connection, love and humanity.

Connection to places

Piccolo was a different and dazzling player who was sought after by all artists, starting with Pharaoh Muhammad Wardi, who included Osama Piccolo in his band at the end of the seventies while he was a student at the College of Music and Drama, where he accompanied many of the stars, including the late artist Ahmed Rabsha. Osama was armed with knowledge in college, which benefited him greatly. On the professional aspect, this helped him work as a music professor in the United Arab Emirates. Because of his intense love for the Emirates, he composed a piece of music called (My Love for the Emirates). This is part of what was written by his friend, the journalist critic Siraj al-Din Mustafa, who called him an ink of love, and pointed out his close connection to the places. “Although he lives in the Arquit neighborhood, he never forgot the New Hilla neighborhood, where he was a child and the hotbed of his youth. The result of that love was the piece (A Tour in the Old Neighborhood), which when you hear it becomes like a scene in front of you due to the accuracy of the musical depiction and the high skill in addressing the ear with musical phrases that are capable of touching on the inside with love.” He said.

Artistic relations

Siraj says in his famous piece (Something in the Thought) that the relationship of familiarity and overwhelming love between the musician Muhammad Al-Amin and the author of Something in the Thought was evident. His dominant melodic idea stemmed from the last part of the song (Whispers of Longing), which is a vocal dialogue between the voice of Muhammad Al-Amin and the piccolo instrument. “Just as Osama Picklo was linked to Muhammad Al-Amin, he also had a close creative relationship with the late musician and artist Salah Bin Badia, who was part of the formation of his band.” He added.