Amman- In northern Jordan, where the plains of Hauran stretch and ancient villages meet the wide open sky, a voice rises that carries within it the spirit of the land and its deep-rooted history, Mahmoud Alshagran, the 25-year-old young man from Ramtha, is not merely a singer; he is a voice pulsating with heritage, blending melancholy and strength, past and present, dream and reality.
Above all, Mahmoud’s voice carries the fragrance and authentic spirit of Ramtha itself, a reminder that art can be as enduring as the land it springs from.
Since the age of fourteen, his voice shone among the people of his town, who began inviting him to sing in weddings and local celebrations. They heard in him something different, a voice that transcended mere singing into a collective feeling, connecting everyone to the land and time.
Mahmoud recalls those beginnings, “I was only fourteen, and people in my area kept asking me to sing at every celebration. I felt that my voice was not mine alone, but belonged to everyone around me.”
In Ramtha, where beautiful voices are cherished and folk songs celebrated in every home, his talent was nurtured amidst the warmth of community and the rhythm of daily life, between the smell of fresh bread in the markets and the melodies of the Dabkeh (traditional dance) filling the town squares.
The turning point in his journey came when he met sound engineer Ahmed Abu Sabah of the Ramtha Youth Band, renowned for Dabkeh and traditional songs.
Abu Sabah recognized Mahmoud’s raw talent and encouraged him to study the oud, elevating him to the spotlight as the lead voice in most of the band’s performances.
Mahmoud recalls with a smile: “I was only sixteen, but I became the band’s lead singer… Abu Sabah didn’t see me just as a singer, but as a musician as well. I trust him fully. He is my manager and friend”
For him, art is like an ocean, you can only navigate it, if you know how to balance strength with tenderness, as well as craft with spirit.
After every performance, along with his manager, he reviews his recordings critically, observing every detail, celebrating his strengths, refining them, and learning from every moment of silence and every whisper from the audience.
“Every concert is a new school. I learn from my strengths and preserve them, and I work on filling the gaps… I do not allow myself to repeat mistakes,” he explains to Anovia.
The Ramtha color in his voice is not just sound, rather an identity. Dabkeh, and melodies drawn from the region’s spirit all merge with his voice to create a full sensory experience.
Mahmoud explains, “artists must be versatile, yet stay true to their own color. My color is Dabkeh and traditional songs, mostly the Ramtha melody that is unique since it comes from the heritage of the region, infused with the spirit of Hauran plains, and built on the sound of the mijwiz (a type of musical instrument)”.
In his voice, one hears the echo of heritage, carried with the vitality and boldness of youth, as if the land itself sings with him.
Yet behind this powerful voice lies a life that was not easy. Orphaned at a young age, he had to leave school after ninth grade to work and support his family. Amid the pressures of reality and life’s hardships. Mahmoud found his sole refuge in the Qur’an recitation circles at the mosque, among the neighborhood children, where he listened and participated, discovering music in every letter, every rhythm, and every recitation echoing between ancient walls.
There, he learned that voice is not just words, but feeling, a connection to others and to the spirit itself, something greater than any difficulty faced.
Today, the resonance of his voice extends beyond Jordan, reaching a diverse Arab audience, from young people to the elderly, soaring with them through melodies and reviving the warmth of heritage.
Mahmoud’s voice has become a shared language, carrying nostalgia and a deep sense of identity and place.
Mahmoud, with a calm smile and eyes full of determination, continues to carry his great dream. “If you have a realistic dream and work hard for it, you will achieve it one day. My dream is to become a well-known name across the Arab world.”
