Events

A concert - event, a musical voyage between East and West, at the frontier between jazz, rock, classical music and traditional Arabic music.

Rabih Abou-Khalil, legend of ethno-jazz and of world music, for his first time in Bucharest.

A concert in which he shall perform his most beautiful trios.

With over 30 albums in his portfolio, among which 23 in his capacity as composer and group leader, under the labels ECM, Enja and Harmonia Mundi, Khalil has collaborated with a plethora of bright musicians, passionate about mixing musical genres. These include Alexandru Bălănescu, Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble, among the classical musicians or Joachim Kuhn, Kenny Wheeler, Steve Swallow, Charlie Mariano, Vincent Courtois, Michel Godard among the jazz musicians.

Abou-Khalil was among the first to mix traditional Arabic music with "Western" music: jazz, classical or rock, borrowing something from each of them and creating an original music, which does not fall into the sin of "fusion" music. Consequently, he is savoured with equal joy by the lovers of classical, jazz or rock music.

He is also associated with Anouar Brahem, both having the merit to bring the oud, the instrumental king of Arabic music to the European concert stages and to place it at the forefront, as a favourite instrument of world music. What distinguishes Abou-Khalil from Brahem, is his technique, similar to the one of jazz guitarists, with rapid solos, and his compositions are filled with solar and humourous feelings.

Rabih Abou-Khalil is Lebanese, raised in cosmopolitan Beirut before the civil war, who then came to Europe for studies. He is living in France and Germany and travels all over the world. He is joined to Bucharest by two friends, who accompanied him for a lifetime: Luciano Biondini from Italy, about whom it is said that he "weaves accordion fantasies" and Jarrod Cagwin from the United States at oriental percussions, an artist with a tremendous melodious sense.

A concert proposed by Jazz Fan Rising, the association of jazz connoisseurs, in partnership with the Embassy of Lebanon.

Organiser: the Jazz Festivals & Events Foundation.

Translated by Simona Nichiteanu