Presented in collaboration with Supersonic Festival, this musical showcase by Nawa Recordings features some of the Arab world’s most creative, independent and forward thinking artists. Founded by multi-instrumentalist musician and composer Khyam Allami in 2011, Nawa is an independent label focused on releasing new music from the Arab world.
Having released critically acclaimed albums by Maurice Louca, Alif, The Dwarfs of East Agouza and Allami’s soundtrack to Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid’s award winning debut feature film As I Open My Eyes, the label brings its newest artists to the UK for the first time in a genre-defying and eclectic quadruple-bill.
Khyam shall curate a striking array of Nawa artists during the Sunday afternoon of the 2017 edition of Supersonic Festival, in celebration of the festival’s longstanding relationship with the musician and label owner. All of the handpicked artists hone in on their own musical influences–spanning rock, psychedelia, gritty percussion, avant-garde, jazz, electronica – all are united by their exploration of genre-defying, improvisation-based craftwork that hail from the Arab world.
Kamilya Jubran Wasl Trio
A contemporary trio led by renowned Palestinian vocalist and Oud player Kamilya Jubran with Werner Hassler (Trumpet, Electronics) and Sarah Murcia (Double Bass, Roland SH-101).
Kamilya Jubran, raised in Palestine, was introduced and initiated to classical arabic music by her music loving parents. From her early university explorations in the group Sabreen, Jubran has been raising awareness to the importance of music and music education in Palestine and spent a very rich and intensive 2 decades of constant work with the group which urged her to deepen her music research and consequently to shape and reshape her musical identity. Continuing on with various other collaborative projects in Europe she arrives here with two companions: Werner Hasler and Sarah Murcia – avid contributors to her work thus far – now forming the Wasl trio.
Werner ran his own band, Manufactur, from 1998 to 2008. His aim at this time was to find ways of using electronic music as a medium for interaction between musicians. Since 2002 he has been working intensively with the Palestinian singer and oud player Kamilya Jubran. First of all contributing to her project Mahattaat, then working in partnership combining Kamilya’s voice and oud with his electronica and trumpet.
For the last ten years Sarah Murcia has played with the Magic Malik Orchestra, and Las Ondas Marteles (Nicolas et Seb Martel). At the moment she is a member of the groups Beau Catcher, Sylvain Cathala trio and Pearls of Swines. As an arranger, she is involved in various projects, particularly Paul Ouazon’s music programs for television and the research atelier of Arte France.
Two or The Dragon
Two Or The Dragon was created by Beirut based musicians Abed Kobeissy (Buzuq/Effects) and Ali Hout (Percussion/Effects) as an expression of their common interest in urban sounds and Arabic music. This project tackles Arabic music’s capacity to express urban soundscapes, and its predisposition to express violence, as a local aesthetic in the region. This interest was sparked when Kobeissy and Hout began to compose music as a duo for contemporary dance and theater performances, as well as several film productions.
Nadah El Shazly
Egyptian vocalist and composer combining abstract quirky electronics and sultry Arabic vocals. Nadah El Shazly is an Egyptian singer and composer living and working in Cairo. She is currently preparing for the release of her debut album, continuing along her constantly evolving live set, which she has been performing solo on keys, electronics and vocals. Most recently, Nadah became resident composer at Stockholm’s Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) and co-founded the Shorba duo with Egyptian artist Mohamed Shafiq, produced a track for the collective Nassibian Orchestra and composed for film and visual art.
Khyam Allami
Iraqi-British multi-instrumentalist and schizophrenic musician/composer presents his latest series of improvisations on processed Oud, electronics and percussion. Virtuoso Oud player, serial collaborator, musical explorer: Khyam is a musician and composer with a formidable – and continually growing – international reputation. Despite only taking up the oud – his principal instrument – in his twenties, Allami rapidly became a performer of international renown. His remarkably assured 2011 debut solo album Resonance/Dissonance was widely critically praised; he has performed at WOMAD, the BBC Proms and London 2012 Festival, the cultural festival that accompanied the Olympics; and he was the first artist to be awarded a BBC Radio 3 World Routes scholarship in 2010. An “exceptionally refined and graceful performer” whose “compositions are utterly bewitching”.
We can’t wait to be mesmerised by this Supersonic Sunday Showcase from the Arab world.
NOT TO BE MISSED!
And catch the Showcase across other UK dates:
15th June, Attenborough Centre, Brighton [tickets]
18th June, Supersonic Festival, Birmingham [tickets]
19th June, Cafe Oto, London [tickets]
