I’ve always believed that one of the best ways to get introduced to any culture is through its music. Music unites people of different backgrounds. Having lived a part of my life in Cairo, and another in Montreal, I have become naturally and equally exposed to both eastern and western cultures. Having also spent years studying jazz as well as

I’ve always believed that one of the best ways to get introduced to any culture is through its music. Music unites people of different backgrounds. Having lived a part of my life in Cairo, and another in Montreal, I have become naturally and equally exposed to both eastern and western cultures. Having also spent years studying jazz as well as classical Arabic music, I seek to find a common ground where both cultures meet and complement one another.

This common ground between the two gave birth to the idea of this trio (around the end of 2014) as the combination of the oud, upright bass and oriental percussion was already on my mind for a while. Three instruments that cover the three main elements of music: melody, rhythm, and harmony. Accompanying me on this album are two world-class musicians: Mike De Masi, one of the most talented upright bass players from Montreal’s vibrant jazz scene, and Joseph Khoury, one of the top oriental percussionists from Montreal’s diverse oriental/world music scenes.

The music on this album is a result of almost four years of us playing together, developing our sound as one unit, after many performances around the island of Montreal and its surrounding areas. It is an album of original music as well as arrangements of pieces from the traditional Egyptian repertoire.