110.8 Mb MORE: 1. TARANNOUM (04:00) ; 2. IMAN (09:35) ; 3. EKLIL (04:11) ; 4. A KIND OF LOVE (04:53) ; 5. JITO & TATO (05:14) ; 6. DERBALLAH (08:14) ; 7. FRAG HABIBE (10:54) ; 8. L ENFANT DU SABLE (08:09) ; 9. L ANGE AVEUGLE (05:52) Total time: 61'02 Born in Teboulba, Tunesia in 1967, composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef has been living and working in Vienna, Austria since 1990. During this time he had the opportunity to perform his music on stages in Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland and other European countries as well as his native Tunesia (where he started singing in the Islamic tradition at age 5). Dhafer has been working with Sainkho Namchylak, Paolo Fresu, Arto Tuncboyacian, Linda Sharrock, Wolfgang Puschnig, Christian Muthspiel, Jamey Haddad, Iva Bittova, Tom Cora and other great improvisers influenced by world music concepts. He also formed his own ensembles with whom he recorded two previous CD's in 1993 and 1996. Dhafer's music is rooted in the Sufi tradition and other mystical music but has always been wide open to ideas from any other musical culture as well as the jazz scene. With his poetic approach on the oud (the Arabic lute), his complex Arab-colored compositions and especially his deeply affecting singing, Dhafer Youssef is one of the most impressive voices to emerge in this musical field for several years. Testifying a wide range of sound colors, stylistic facets and musical ingredients, the list of musicians involved on "Malak" includes German lyrical trumpeter , Vietnamese guitar wizard Nguyen Le, French bass virtuoso Renaud Garcia-Fons ("Oriental Bass"), Indian percussion master Jatinder Thakur, Indian bansuri player Deepak Ram, Italian tambourine professor Carlo Rizzo, Hungarian violinist Zoltan Lantos and other colorful players. A thrilling statement made of Arabic lyricism, rhythmic power, visionary strength, multi-cultural influences and jazz-oriented improvisation, "Malak" opens the way to a new definition of East-Western crossover. Dhafer Youssef. BioBorn in 1967 in Teboulba, Tunesia, cosmopolitan composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef has been living and working in Europe since 1990. With his deeply affecting vocal style, a straight approach on the oud, charming Arab-coloured compositions, spacey electric lounge vibes and a variety of fusion sounds, he is among today's shooting stars on the electronical/world music scene. World beat magazine Songlines read: "This man is pushing the roots-digital envelope like no-one else can."Dhafer Youssef recorded two previous CDs in 1993 and 1996 before he started his collaboration with ENJA. Over the years he has been working with Iva Bittova, Mino Cinelu, Tom Cora, Paolo Fresu, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Jamey Haddad, Patrice Heral, Dieter Ilg, Nguyen Le, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Sainkho Namchylak, Wolfgang Puschnig, Deepak Ram, Carlo Rizzo, Linda Sharrock, Markus Stockhausen, Jatinder Thakur, Arto Tuncboyacian and other great individual improvisers influenced by world music concepts. He always kept finding new soundscapes to go with his intense vocals and his poetic oud playing and finally started adding electric and digital sounds. With the support of Nils Petter Molvaer, Bill Laswell, Doug Wimbish, Eivind Aarset, Bugge Wesseltoft, Rune Arnesen and others, Dhafer Youssef has become one of the most imaginative artists on the crossroads of electronic, acoustic and ambient musics. Rooted in Islamic traditions, Dhafer's singing is dignified with an aura of spirituality. The Guardian read: "Every time Youssef opens his mouth we are treated to a soaring sound that seems to echo back through the centuries (…) evoking images of dark and ancient temples." When his dark, haunting baritone voice leaps into a hair-raising falsetto, listeners feel "the earth move" below their feet. As an inventive oud player and composer, Dhafer Youssef creates original music both majestic and refined. "Youssef's oud sometimes evokes Bert Jansch's mournful brand of scary folk, at other times it takes on the measured bombast of heavy metal," Time Out read. Taking world/jazz fusion into electronic trance music with trip-hop elements, Dhafer Youssef is at the core of current cutting-edge trends heading for a bright future. Says the Evening Standard: "No question about it, Dhafer Youssef is a major new voice." Dhafer Youssef is an ENJA recording artist. Contact: dhaferyoussef@yahoo.com Booking contact: Franck Feret (Jazz Musiques Productions): franck.feret@jmp.fr
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