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Europe Jazz Network
ANOUAR BRAHEM |
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Anouar Brahem was born on October 2Oth, 1957 in Halfaouine, the heart
of the old city of Tunis. Encouraged by his father, Brahem began at
the age of ten his initiation to music and the oud (Arab tute) and
continued his studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Tunis.
At the same time, he followed the tuition of the master Ali Sriti over
a period of ten years during which time he acquired an in depth
knowledge of classical Arab music. Little by little he broadened his
listening to include other musical expressions from around the
Mediterranean, Iran and India... then jazz. In a musical environment largely dominated by variety Songs where the oud is confined to the rote of accompaniment, the name Anouar Brahem has remained intimately bound to instrumental music. From the very beginning, while devoting himself to composition, he was moved by the urge to return the oud to its preeminent Status as the preferred instrument of Arab music and to give instrumental music concerts as a soloist. In 1981 he left for Paris and this cosmopolitan city enabled him to meet musicians from a great variety of backgrounds. He remained for four years during which time he performed in several festivals and collaborated in particular with the choreographer, Maurice Béjart. A return to Carthage provided him with the opportunity of bringing together, for "Liqua 85", outstanding figures of Tunisian and Turkish music and French jazz such as, Abdelwaheb Berbeche, the Erköse brothers, François Jeanneau, François Couturier and Jean Paul Céléa. This instrumental creation earned him the National Award of Excellence in Music. In 1987 he returned to Tunis and was entrusted the directorship of the Ensemble Musical de In Ville de Tunis. As director, he signed several creations, including "Ennaoura el achiqua", which resulted from his meeting with Tunisian poet Ali Louati and which brought him a true national consecration. There followed the fruitful collaboration started in 1990 with Manfred Eicher, the producer and founder of the German label ECM Records, the four albums recorded were very well received by the international press and the public, the meeting with names such as Jan Garbarek, Richard Galliano, Palle Danielsson, Jon Christensen or Manu Katche, and a career which lead him to perform on many stages of the wand: Washington Square Church (New York), New Orleans Jazz Festival (USA), Frankfurt International Jazz Festival (Germany), Lumine Hall-Tokyo (Japan), Royal Academy of Music-Londres (G.B), Zurich International Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Uméa Jazz Festival (Sweden), Theatre de Beyrouth (Lebanon)... In January 1995 he was invited to take part in the inaugural concerts of the brand new Cité de la Musique in Paris. Anouar Brahem has composed the musical sound-tracks for a number of theatre productions, ballets and films, induding "Sabots en Or" and "Bezness" by Nouri Bouzid , "Halfaouine" by Férid Boughedir and "Les Silences du Palais" by Mounida Tlatli. The huge success of "Ritek Ma Nareef Ouin" sung by the Tunisian singer, Lotfi Bouchnak, also revealed an unexpected talent as a composer for popular songs. "He is the best lutist in Tunisia" claims Ali Sriti of Anouar. "...he has at his disposal the carress and the touch of the chords; he alone knows the secret." Biography courtesy of Uli Fild Concertbüro. |