Eight years after Blue Maqams, Anouar Brahem returns with a new project, and a programme of powerfully-moving pieces for oud, cello, piano and bass.
Asked about the nature of his artistic journey, Brahem has drawn analogies with the growth of a tree, its branches spreading out above ground, while roots dig ever deeper. Over time and the course of a remarkable discography beginning with Barzakh, his music has become steadily more inclusive. While evoking the modes of Arab music as a primary resource, he has consistently sought in his work to engage with the wider world, finding inspiration in many idioms, including jazz improvisation, European classical music and contemporary composition, and shaping a highly personal music that could only have been created by him.
“Today, the sonic materials that seem particularly transformable and stimulating to me are those that combine tradition and modernity,” said Brahem recently. “For example, the Arabic maqams, which are at the heart of my musical identity, fascinate me with their melodic richness and their ability to integrate into contemporary musical contexts. They offer an infinite terrain for experimentation. I find it exciting to juxtapose these ancient modal structures with harmonic approaches from jazz, creating a dialogue between past and present, between cultures and styles.”