Events
Saturday the 26th of October at 8PM
Auditorium (level -2)
Interacting with sound in order to abolish frontiers: that is the perspective of Amir ElSaffar, virtuoso leader of the Two Rivers Ensemble. Born to an Iraqi father exiled in Chicago, one could define him as an alchemist of modern and ancient times, he orchestrates this sextet with a hybrid and transcultural essence.
Borrowing, from a vibrant organic improvisation, within the classic tradition of the Iraqi maqam, which he learned under the tutelage of Hamed Al-Saadi, he also borrows from his lyrical ornaments, his micro-intervals and quarter tones, and subsequently creates a subtle yet essential link with American jazz and contemporary music, in which he evolved along with Bud Herseth and Cecil Taylor.
The ensemble conjugates these two musical idioms, at the heart of the dual identity of its leader, in a vacuum of melodies and a supported alternance of cadences, mirror of an inner turmoil, one that is placed under the paradigm of a crisis. Drums and Arab percussions, santur, bass, violin, oud, kanoun, bazouk, trumpet, saxophone, singing : everything fits in order to magnify this ethereal dream with mystical accents carried by Amur ElSaffar.
Distribution
Amir ElSaffar | trumpet, santur (zither on Iraqi table), singing
Ole Mathisen | Tenor saxophone
Nasheet Waits | drums
Tareq Abboushi | bazouk
Zafer Tawil | oud, violin, percussions
Carlo DeRosa | bass
Pricing : 20 € (full) | 16 € (reduced) | 12 € (under 26)