Anouar Brahem

Anouar Brahem (in Tunisian Arabic أنور براهم) (born on 20 October 1957) is a Tunisian oud player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field.[1] Performing primarily for a jazz audience, he combines 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.[2]

Anouar Brahem

Biography

Brahem was born in Halfaouine in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia. He studied oud at Tunisia's National Conservatory of Music.[2] 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[2] with whom he has recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums.[1][3] These include "Thimar", recorded with saxophonist John Surman and bassist Dave Holland[4][5]

In playing style, Anouar Brahem is often compared to Rabih Abou-Khalil. 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.[6] He has also performed live concerts with these same ensembles.

Anouar released Blue Maqams in 2017 with a band that included Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland and Django Bates.[7]

Discography

Solo albums
Year Album Peak positions Notes
BEL
(Fl)
 BEL
(Wa)
 FRA
[8]		 SWI
1991 Barzakh with Lassad Hosni and Bechir Selmi
1992 Conte de l'Incroyable Amour with Barbaros Erköse
1994 The Silences of the Palace with Sonia Laraissi
1995 Khomsa with Richard Galliano, Bechir Selmi and François Couturier
1998 Thimar with John Surman and Dave Holland
2000 Astrakan Café
(as Anouar Brahem Trio)		 with Barbaros Erköse and Lassad Hosni
2002 Le Pas du Chat Noir 86 with François Couturier and Jean-Louis Matinier
2006 Le Voyage de Sahar 89 89 with François Couturier and Jean-Louis Matinier
2009 The Astounding Eyes of Rita 81 89 84 with Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Khaled Yassine
2014 Souvenance 43 75 64 82 with Francois Couturier, Klaus Gesing and Björn Meyer
2017 Blue Maqams 40 62 51
 23 with Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland and Django Bates

Collaborations

References
  1. Jurek, Thom. "Astrakan Café: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  2. Harris, Craig. "Anouar Brahem: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  3. Fordham, John (2009-12-31). "Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  4. Fordham, John (1999-01-02). "Rhapsody in any colour you like". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  5. McKinney, Raymond. "Thimar: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  6. "Biography ANOUAR BRAHEM" (PDF). beitalhikma.tn.
  7. https://www.ft.com/content/4ce35bbe-ac8e-11e7-beba-5521c713abf4
  8. "Anouar Brahim discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
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