This is an Arab Restaurant in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires, one of Buenos Aires’ better neighbordhoods.
The restaurant’s name Al-Shark comes from Al Sharq which is Arabic for “the East.” It does not mean the man eating fish, shark, which in Spanish is tiburón.
Mario Kirlis is technically an Argentine, but has a wide fan base all over South America, and not just among the Arab community.
This was a show of him on Uruguayan TV
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZXEXSglfVQ
Fadwa, directora de la escuela de danzas árabes ‘Nur al Ámar’ (Montevideo Uruguay) en los estudios del canal 5 junto a la gran orquesta árabe de Mario Kirlis:
:: Mario Kirlis en Laud
:: Gaston Chaade en Qanun
:: Matias Hazrum en Derbake
:: Pablo Ventura en Massar y DaffEs una improvisacion del tema Aziza que la orquesta interpreta para el programa “Igualito” en Canal 5 conducido por Omar Gutierrez, previo a la muestra anual de alumnas y show arabes en Sala Zitarrosa el pasado lunes 23 de Noviembre.
Fadwa, director of the school of Arabic dance: ‘Nur al Ámar’ (Montevideo Uruguay) in the studios of channel 5 along with the grand orchestra of Mario Kilis:
:: Mario Kirlis on Lute
:: Gaston Chaade en Kanun (Arabic Zither)
:: Matias Hazrum pn Derbake (Arabic Drum)
:: Pablo Ventura on Massar y Daff (I have no idea)It is an improvisation of the Aziza theme that the orquestra interprets for the program “Igualito” on Canal 5, directed by Omar Gutierrez, prior to the annual Arab exhibition, in Zitarrosa Hall, of students and show on Monday 23 November [2009].
What is interesting is how mainstream this is in South America.
Now this is the Colegio Argentino-Árabe , where Arabic language instruction is taught.
It is a Muslim institution, one of the few in Argentina; but notice the blonde in the front row. Notice the teachers. Notice how European many of the teachers and students look. All of the ladies are wearing pants. No burqas or hijabs here. The children are mixed gender. The dress is conservative, but Western.
Hardly what one would expect from a Traditional Sunni school.
From what I have read, a lot of non-Muslims take their courses to learn Arabic.
Of course, the Colegio-Árabe wants to convert Christians, and instruction in the Arabic language is a way to effect that; but it remains to be seen if the Christian students will actually water down Islam in Argentina.
Until recently, with the advent of Saudi money, Islam took a real beating in Argentina. Most Muslims were non-practicising. Intermarriage and conversion kept them pretty much on the edge of demographic collapse.
If you think I am exaggerating, this article by Pedro Breiger, an Argentine Academic and news commentator noted in 2000:
The number of Muslims in Argentina is decreasing, and this is due to several factors. Firstly, in families of Muslim origin, customs are being lost, from the Arabic language to food and drink. Secondly, there is relatively little reading material on Islam available in Spanish. There is a growing tendency toward mixed marriages in which children lose all references to Islam, and there are too few study centres for disseminating Islam. This may, however, change in the future with the construction of the new Islamic Cultural Center King Fahd, financed by the Saudi government, which includes a school and a mosque with a minaret in the heart of Buenos Aires. It is considered to be the largest of its kind in Latin America.
Pedro Brieger noted that Islam in Argentina, around 2000, was on life-support. It was dying out. There were not enough local support to save it.
But he also noted the potential problem of Saudi Arabian money and the King Fahd Mosque, which in 2000 was being built. This observation was prescient on his part.
The King Fahd Mosque – and Saudi Money – has caused some noticeable problems. However other sources indicate most of any increase in Muslims is coming from new non-Arab immigrants, NOT Arab Argentines. If true, the King Fahd Mosque may only be delaying the death of Islam.
It remains to be seen if Saudi Money will cause some major problems. If so, Argentina was foolish to have even allowed it in at all.
BTW: as an aside, notice the winter clothing (this is the Southern Hemisphere, and June is the dead of winter). Argentine schools are in disrepair. Central heating is not one of their strong points. Buenos Aires is borderline subtropical; but in winter it can get close to freezing.
Salta, Argentina is a resort town on the Argentine side of the Andes. It is in the subtropical Northwest of the country, and is famous for nearby cactus, which resemble our Arizona Saguaro.
What it is also famous for is a noticeable Arab community.
For an idea of what Salta is like in total:
The area around Salta is subtropical, arid and dry and resembles the climate of the Mideast the Arabs had left. So many Arab immigrants settled in the area.
Wikipedia: Salta
However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the arrival of Italian, Spanish and Arab immigrants, particularly Syrians and Lebanese, revived trade and agriculture all over the area while further enhancing the city’s multicultural flavor.
Notice however that much of this immigration is over a hundred years ago. We are looking at 3rd and 4th generation Argentine-born citizens. They may be monolingually Spanish now, but they kept the culture.
