The Tale of the Floating Bridge "Bashir" Oud

 By Munir Bashir

 

"In my journey from Istanbul to Beirut, an unfortunate incident occurred with my beloved 1954 oud, crafted by Mohamed Fadel. While tuning the oud, it unexpectedly broke, causing damage to the top of the instrument near the bottom of the bridge area. It became apparent to me that the varying climates from one country to another during my travels had a significant impact on the wood. Regrettably, this rendered me unable to play and record alongside the renowned Lebanese singer, Fairuz, at that time. Consequently, I returned to Baghdad and sought the expertise of my trusted oud maker, Mohamed Fadel, to create a unique oud for me.

On the 7th of July 1957, Mohamed Fadel crafted the new oud for me. Interestingly, both the original oud and this newly created one became exemplary models for oud makers in the years that followed."

• Munir Bashir, excerpt from the book "Music of Wisdom"