Anouar Brahem
Encyclopedia
Anouar Brahem (born on October 20, 1957) is an oud
player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field. Performing primarily for a jazz
audience, he fuses Arab classical music, folk music
and jazz
and has been recording since at least 1991, after becoming prominent in his own country in the late 1980s.
, Tunisia
. He studied oud at Tunisia's National Conservatory of Music. In 1981, he left for Paris
in search of new vistas. This enabled him to meet musicians from a variety of genres. He remained there as a composer for four years, notably for Tunisian cinema and theatre. He collaborated with Maurice Béjart
for his ballet
Thalassa Mare Nostrum and with Gabriel Yared
as lutist for Costa Gavras’ film Hanna K.
.
After a period back in Tunisia in the late 1980s, when Brahem was appointed director of the Ensemble musical de la ville de Tunis, he toured in the USA and Canada and then signed with ECM Records with whom he has recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums. These include "Thimar", recorded with saxophonist John Surman
and bassist Dave Holland
In playing style, Anouar Brahem is often compared to Rabih Abou-Khalil
, though his compositions tend to be more mellow and spare. Most often he utilizes an ensemble of three or four musicians. He has collaborated throughout his career and on several albums with other musicians: Tunisian
percussionist Lassad Hosni and violinist Bechir Selmi and Turkish
clarinetist Barbaros Erköse. He has also performed live concerts with these same ensembles.
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field. Performing primarily for a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
audience, he fuses Arab classical music, folk music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and has been recording since at least 1991, after becoming prominent in his own country in the late 1980s.
Biography
Brahem was born in Halfaouine in the Medina of TunisTunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. He studied oud at Tunisia's National Conservatory of Music. In 1981, he left for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in search of new vistas. This enabled him to meet musicians from a variety of genres. He remained there as a composer for four years, notably for Tunisian cinema and theatre. He collaborated with Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart was a French born, Swiss choreographer who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He was the son of the French philosopher Gaston Berger.- Biography :...
for his ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
Thalassa Mare Nostrum and with Gabriel Yared
Gabriel Yared
Gabriel Yared is a Lebanese composer, best known for his work in French and American cinema.Born in Beirut, Lebanon, his work in France included the scores for Betty Blue and Camille Claudel. He later began working on English language films, particularly those directed by Anthony Minghella...
as lutist for Costa Gavras’ film Hanna K.
Hanna K.
Hannah K. is a 1983 drama film directed by Costa Gavras, starring Jill Clayburgh and Gabriel Byrne.-Plot:Hanna K. is the story of Hannah Kaufman, a child of Holocaust survivors and an American-Jewish immigrant to Israel, who was a court-appointed lawyer assigned to defend a Palestinian, Salim...
.
After a period back in Tunisia in the late 1980s, when Brahem was appointed director of the Ensemble musical de la ville de Tunis, he toured in the USA and Canada and then signed with ECM Records with whom he has recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums. These include "Thimar", recorded with saxophonist John Surman
John Surman
John Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music as a basis...
and bassist Dave Holland
Dave Holland
Dave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....
In playing style, Anouar Brahem is often compared to Rabih Abou-Khalil
Rabih Abou-Khalil
-Life:Rabih Abou-Khalil grew up in Beirut and moved to Munich, Germany during the civil war in 1978. He lives part-time in Munich and part-time in the South of France with his wife and two children.-Music:...
, though his compositions tend to be more mellow and spare. Most often he utilizes an ensemble of three or four musicians. He has collaborated throughout his career and on several albums with other musicians: Tunisian
Demographics of Tunisia
The majority of modern Tunisians are Arab-Berber orArabized Berber, and are speakers of Tunisian Arabic. However, there is also a small population of Berbers located in the Jabal Dahar mountains in the South East and on the island of Jerba...
percussionist Lassad Hosni and violinist Bechir Selmi and Turkish
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
clarinetist Barbaros Erköse. He has also performed live concerts with these same ensembles.
Discography
- 1991 - BarzakhBarzakh (album)Barzakh is an album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem recorded in 1990 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Cook awarded the album 4½ stars stating "This is a great title for fans of both international music and jazz"...
(ECM 1432) with Lassad Hosni and Bechir Selmi. - 1992 - Conte de l'Incroyable AmourConte de l'Incroyable Amour-Track listing:# "Etincelles" - 3:21# "Le Chien Sur Les Genoux de la Devineresse" - 3:44# "L' Oiseau de Bois" - 4:48# "Lumière du Silence" - 5:15# "Conte de I'incroyable Amour" - 10:51# "Peshrev Hidjaz Homayoun" - 5:03...
(ECM 1457) with Barbaros Erköse. - 1994 - MadarMadar (album)Madar is an album by Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek featuring Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem and Pakistani tabla master Ustad Shaukat Hussain recorded in 1992 and released on the ECM label in 1994.-Reception:...
(ECM 1515) with Jan GarbarekJan GarbarekJan Garbarek is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czesław Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter...
and Ustad Shaukat Hussain. - 1995 - KhomsaKhomsaKhomsa is an album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem recorded in 1994 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Michael G...
(ECM 1561) with Richard GallianoRichard GallianoRichard Galliano is a French accordionist.-Biography:He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the accordion at 4, influenced by his father Lucien, an accordionist originally from Italy, living in Nice.After a long and intense period of study Richard Galliano (born December 12, 1950,...
and Bechir Selmi and Francois Couturier. - 1998 - ThimarThimarThimar is an album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem recorded in 1997 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Raymond McKinney awarded the album 4 stars stating it "superbly fuses the traditions of jazz with those of Arab classical music, pushing the parameters of both...
(ECM 1641) with John SurmanJohn SurmanJohn Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music as a basis...
and Dave HollandDave HollandDave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....
. - 2000 - Astrakan CaféAstrakan CaféAstrakan Café is an album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem recorded in 1999 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek called it "deeply personal, profound music. It is also highly iconographic, with timelessness woven through every measure.....
(ECM 1718) with Barbaros Erköse and Lassad Hosni. - 2002 - Charmediterranéen (ECM 1828) with Orchestre National de Jazz and Gianluigi TrovesiGianluigi Trovesithumb|200px|Gianluigi Trovesi in 2006.Gianluigi Trovesi is an Italian jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and composer.A native of Nembro near Bergamo in Lombardy, he studied harmony and counterpoint under Vittorio Fellegara. Since then he has been a major player in the Italian and European jazz scene....
. - 2003 - Vague (ECM) (Selection).
- 2002 - Le Pas du Chat NoirLe Pas du Chat NoirLe Pas du Chat Noir is an album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem recorded in 2001 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Chris Nickson awarded the album 4 stars stating "The interplay between musicians is as delicate as lace -- thoughtful, with everyone listening as...
(ECM 1792) with Francois Couturier and Jean-Louis Matinier. - 2006 - Le Voyage de SaharLe Voyage de SaharLe Voyage de Sahar is an album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem recorded in 2005 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "Brahem has given listeners another of his wondrous offerings, full of deceptively simple compositions...
(ECM 1915) with Francois Couturier and Jean-Louis Matinier. - 2009 - The Astounding Eyes of Rita (ECM 2075) with Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Khaled Yassine.