ARAB LUTE. CHILDREN OF ZIRYAB

The body of the lute embraces all melodies. It is the most influential instrument on the human mood and it is devised to harmonize the mind and moderate the spirit. On the other hand, it is the instrument of feeling and passion. It unites poetry and number, theory and immediate delight. The lute brings us close to paradise and reveals the abyss of the soul.

In the 9th century Ziryab brought the lute to the West and Cordoba became its home. We have called this album “The Children of Ziryab” because this 21st Century could be the century of the lute. It has never been played, discussed or analyzed as much before. All the lutenists that participate in the Tetouan Festival are spiritually children of Ziryab.

ARTISTS:

ENTREQUATRE GUITAR QUARTET with lutenist Driss El Maloumi. A project of Arab lute fusion with guitar. In 1984 four guitarist friends began to work together without ever suspecting that over the years such an original chamber music group could emerge, and become so consolidated in the guitar world and the world of new music. Entrequatre has inspired the creation of new works for four guitars, and has played as many as fifty new works for the first time. Entrequatre’s many tours include Europe, USA and Latin America as well as South Africa and India. In 2008 they went on the “Ramadán Nights” tour in Morocco together with the Arab lutenist Driss El Maloumi. Driss El Maloumi: lute. Born in Anadir in 1970, his talent and virtuosity as a musician are clear. Currently he is considered to be one of the best lutenists of his generation because of his musical and literary culture, and the mastery of his instrument.

The four people in the group are from Asturias in Spain, Manuel Paz (Ujo, 1960), Jesús Prieto (Lena, 1972), Carmen Cuello (El Entrego 1979), and Carlos Cuanda (Llanes, 1961).

“We thought it would be difficult, but it has proved surprisingly easy to cross two cultures and two musical traditions that don’t even share the same beginnings in sound. Yet, we have more in common than it seems” Manual Paz referring to the group’s work with Driss El Maloumi.

MORAD SAKLÍ:

Born in Tunis in 1965, Morad obtained several university diplomas through his musical studies, which culminated in a doctorate in Musicology at the University of the Sorbonne, Paris, in 1994. He has been the director of the Annajma Azzahraa Mediterranean Centre since 2002. As a composer he is inspired by traditional Tunisian music. He has given more than 200 concerts in countries such as Tunisia, France, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Morocco, Malta and Finland. He has published scientific articles and given lectures nationally and internationally. He has published a book entitled “Tunisian Music and the Challenges of the New Century” for the publisher Bait Al Hidma of Tunis. He has been the solo lute in the City of Tunis Arab Music Group. He was the musical Director of the opening concert at the International Festival of Carthage in 2007, and has been a member of the Jury at the Festival of Tunisian Music (ex Festival of Song) for the last four years. He was President of the Ministry of Culture Commission to support music and musical production from 2000 to 2007.

TRIO DU LUTH ARAB:

This group of musicians is specialized in Oriental music. Their performance is based on the techniques of coordination, harmony and polyphony. Noudreddine Ozzahr received the lute and music theory prize from the Casablanca Conservatory in 1995. Since 1999 he has been a teacher at the Casablanca Music Academy, exclusive branch in Morocco of the Alfred Cortot École Normale de Musique in Paris. He is a teacher of musical training at the Belarabi El Alaoui Cultural Centre in Mohammedia Mostapha Amelky received the first prize for lute and music theory in 1995 from the Casablanca Conservatory. He is a teacher at the Anfa Conservatory, teacher of musical training at the Belarabi El Alaoui Cultural Centre in Mohammedia and music teacher at the Galileo School.

SAÍD CHRAIBI:

Chraibi discovered the lute at the age of 13 and has never been separated from the instrument that has taken him to the international stage as a soloist, in orchestras and as an accompanist to the great voices of the Arab world. His compositions are considered to be a prolongation of the tradition as they are based on research and the works of the ancient Andalusi, Turkish and Persian modes.

Chraibi is a recognized artist, both nationally and internationally. He is also a talent scout, having discovered people like the singer Karima Skali. He is a student and collector of instruments in the lute family, from the classical lute, to the Turkish lute to the Baroque lute, all acquired on his trips to the Orient and to Europe.

DUO DRISS NIGRA & AHMED GUENDOUZ:

Driss Nigra was born in Tetouan in 1978. He won the first prize for the Lute at the National Conservatory in Rabat in 1999 where he became a music teacher in 2002. He has been a member of the Hilal Orchestra since 1991, as first lute, and participated in the Arab Music Festival in Algeria in 2007 and in the Musical Evenings in 2M. Driss Nigra is a composer and arranger of Moroccan songs, his latest work was with the Spanish Flamenco singer Enrique Morente. Ahmed Guendouz was born in Casablanca in 1965. He won the viola prize at the Rabat National Conservatory in 1986. On numerous occasions he has participated with national orchestras: the RTM National Orchestra, Orchestra of the Gendarmerie Royal, al Hilal Orchestra, Orchestra of the Rabat Conservatory and the Abdelader Rachidi Orchestra. Internationally he has played with: the Egyptian orchestra Al Firma al Masria and the Syrian orchestra Amine el Khiate.

OMAR BASHIR ENSEMBLE:

Omar Bashir was born in Baghdad in 1970 and started playing the lute at the age of 5. He studied at the Baghdad Music and Ballet School. In 1986 he led the Iraq musical Orchestra with which he won several prizes. In 1991 he specialized in Bulgarian folk music. He began his professional career in 1988 as a soloist and later played in a duet with his father Munir Bashir with great success, in both Europe and Arab countries, producing an album that won top prizes. In the year 2000 Omar Bashir released the album Maquam which earned him the nickname “Prince of the Lute” after artistic criticism from French journalists. He has won many prizes for his 16 recordings which include: Al Andalus, Voices of Civilizations and The Gypsy Lute, an original blend of Hungarian gypsy music and Arab music.

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Recorded live by Eduardo Paniagua at the 2008 Tetouan Festival; Mastered in Madrid by Hugo Westerdahl, March 2010.; Production: Eduardo Paniagua; Festival Directors: Mehdi Zouak and Samira Kadiri