About

Ali Omar El-Farouk is an Egyptian/Canadian guitarist and oud player based out of Montreal and Cairo. He is an active performer, teacher and composer with a professional career spanning more than two and a half decades which includes performances in Egypt, Canada, U.S.A., Turkey, Spain, Italy, Thailand, and cruise ships touring the Bahamas and the British Isles. His versatile musical vocabulary is a result of his privileged exposure to both eastern and western cultures. He spent years studying jazz music, traditional Arabic/Middle-Eastern music, flamenco music, and western classical music.

He has worked in jazz groups, rock/blues/pop bands, all the way to Middle Eastern and flamenco ensembles. His performances include the Festival Du Monde Arabe, Festival Nuits D’Afrique, Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques Festival, and Festival Sefarad in Montreal, the Feria del Libro Festival in Spain, as well as the Manial Palace Festival, the Jazz Mania Festival, and the Cairo Jazz Festival in Cairo.

His first album ‘Ela Mataa?’ was recorded in Montreal and released in 2019. He holds a Licentiate degree in Jazz Performance from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, one of Canada’s top music institutes, and a Bachelor’s degree with Distinction in Jazz Studies from Concordia University in Montreal.  He is as passionate about performing live as he as about teaching music and he teaches music at his own studio and online.

He was the 2022 recipient of the ’Friends of Manial Palace Museum Association’ award in Egypt, which was presented to him by His Highness Prince Abbas Hilmi and the great classical pianist maestro Ramzi Yassa.

'Ela Mataa?' Album Trailer

Concerts

Following two successful performances at Upstairs Jazz Bar, Argentinian singer María Luz Seferiades and Egyptian-Canadian guitarist and oud player Ali Omar El-Farouk return for their third consecutive year at the iconic Montreal jazz venue, presenting their newly named quartet, Cuatro Orillas.

Joined this year by two outstanding Montreal musicians, bassist Olivier Babaz and percussionist Hanser Santos Gómez, the quartet explores the rich musical crossroads between Spain and Latin America, blending the passion of flamenco and Spanish song with the sensuality of Bolero and the rhythmic spirit of Latin music.

Their repertoire brings together beloved classics and contemporary songs, from Perfidia, Sabor a Mí, Lágrimas Negras and La Llorona to music by artists such as Buika, Niña Pastori, Yerai Cortés and Gypsy Kings. Through their own arrangements and interpretations, the quartet creates a sound that is intimate, expressive, and deeply rooted in the traditions of Spanish and Latin music while embracing contemporary influences.

At the heart of Cuatro Orillas is the long-standing musical collaboration between María Luz and Ali Omar El-Farouk, whose musical dialogue is expanded and enriched by the interplay of voice, guitar, bass, and percussion.

An evening of passion, rhythm, and songs that cross borders, from one shore to another.

Reservation online or by phone between 9 am & 5 pm 🙂 514 931 6808 ☎️

See you there! 🌹

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