Ibrahim Maalouf (Arabic: ابراهيم معلوف) is a trumpeter who is also a compos… Read Full Bio ↴Ibrahim Maalouf (Arabic: ابراهيم معلوف) is a trumpeter who is also a composer and arranger for trumpet. He also teaches trumpet. He was born on November 5, 1980 in Beirut, Lebanon, but now lives in France.
Ibrahim Maalouf is the son of trumpeter Nassim Maalouf and pianist Nada Maalouf, a nephew of the writer Amin Maalouf, and the grandson of journalist, poet and musicologist Rushdi Maalouf. He is currently the only trumpet player in the world to play Arabic music with the trumpet in fourth tones, using a technique his father invented in the 1960s. Ibrahim is also the winner of some of the greatest classical trumpet competitions in the world.
His family fled Lebanon in the midst of a civil war and Ibrahim grew up in the Paris suburbs with both parents and his sister Layla, who is two years older than him. He studied until the age of 17 and graduated with a Bachelor's in General Scientific Mathematics from the Lycée d'Étampes (Essonne).
He began to study the trumpet at age 7 with his father Nassim Maalouf, a former student of Maurice André at the National Conservatory in Paris. His father taught him the classical technique, early music, modern, contemporary and also classical Arabic music and the Arab art of improvisation. In fact, his father was the inventor of the micro-tonal trumpet, so-called quarter-tones, allowing you to play Arab makams on the trumpet. Ibrahim also began playing the piccolo trumpet very young. Since the age of 9, he accompanied his father as a duo throughout Europe and the Middle East, playing a Baroque repertoire by Vivaldi, Purcell, Albinoni, and so on. Thusly, he had his first encounter playing to an audience, and an audience had their first encounter with him. At 17, Ibrahim attracted professionals when in concert with a chamber orchestra, as he interpreted the 2nd Brandenburg Concerto by Bach, considered by many trumpeters as the hardest classical work to play on a trumpet. It was at this same time that Ibrahim met Maurice André, who encouraged him to abandon his studies in mathematics to dedicate himself to music permanently.

Diaspora
Ibrahim Maalouf Lyrics

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It′s terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
It′s terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
It′s terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
It′s terrible to wast your life losing your freedom

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ibrahim Maalouf's song Diaspora repeat the phrase "It's terrible to waste your life losing your freedom" multiple times, emphasizing the idea that losing your freedom is a terrible thing to experience. The song seems to be discussing the difficulty of leaving one's homeland and the struggle of adapting to a new culture. The repetition of the phrase could also be interpreted as a warning against becoming too caught up in one's own life and losing sight of the bigger picture.

The use of the word "diaspora" in the title further emphasizes this theme, as it refers to the dispersal or migration of a people from their homeland. The song may also be commenting on the larger political and social issues of displacement and forced migration that are prevalent in today's world.

Overall, the lyrics of Diaspora convey a sense of loss and longing for one's homeland and the struggle to find a sense of belonging in a new place. The repeated phrase serves as a reminder that freedom is a precious thing and should not be taken for granted.

Line by Line Meaning

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
There is nothing more dreadful than squandering your life and losing your liberty

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
The cost of losing your freedom and the time spent on it is devastating

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
The regret of losing your freedom and wasting your life is unbearable

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
To lose your freedom and waste your life at the same time is a tragedy

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
There is no greater horror than sacrificing your life and losing your liberty

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
The loss of freedom and a wasted life go hand in hand, and both are heartbreaking

It's terrible to wast your life losing your freedom
The pain of losing your freedom and wasting the precious life given to you is indescribable

Writer(s): Ibrahim Maalouf

Contributed by Isabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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