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Claudia Meyer will unveil her new album "La Negra - Tribute to Mercedes Sosa, The voice of Latin America" on its release March 22, 2024, on Kobbi Prod / InOuïe Distribution. This new work will be presented live on stage on Thursday April 25, 2024 at Café de la Danse (Paris). The first single, "La Maza", has been available on all platforms since 26 January 2024. This album is based on the musical show. The original and innovative character of Claudia Meyer’s interpretation brings back to life the musical itinerary of this artist, internationally known for her voice, “the voice of silent people”. This album retraces the different steps of her life as an artist and as a woman. The album includes two duets: an exceptional one with Mercedes Sosa, and one with Maurane, to whom the album is dedicated. A word about Mercedes Sosa: "Mercedes Sosa is the voice that influenced me, she took me into her story and I plunged into her music. Although I am not a South American and Spanish is not my mother tongue, I was seized and taken by this culture and its musicality and overwhelmed by the power of her emotionally rich voice. I was sensitive to her story, to her life as a woman, to her commitment to the poorest and to the immense interpreter that she was. She has always been part of my musical itinerary, I have been singing her since I was a teenager and have paid tribute to her on my previous 2 albums Azul et Fuego. I am very moved and happy to revive her music on stage, and on the album “La Negra”." Claudia Meyer The album: The album and the show offer a mix of tradition and modernity, readapted by Claudia Meyer and Marc Benabou “Marquito” on percussions. Even though she remained faithful to original versions, Claudia Meyer brings her personal touch by playing ethnic instruments such as the charango, the cuatro, and particularly the bombo (andean drums) which Mercedes Sosa used to play on stage. The album is identical to the live show, a deliberate intention to reflect the proximity and the intimacy formed by Mercedes Sosa and her guitarist, Nicolas Brizuela.

Johanni Curtet will unveil his new album “If Only I Could Hibernate” on its release January 5, 2024, on Buda Musique / Socadisc and Amygdala Films & Urban Factory. "If Only I Could Hibernate" is the original soundtrack to the film by Zoljargal Purevdash, (French release 01/10/24), which was part of the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard 2023). With : Johanni Curtet: composition, beatbox, khöömii, throat singing, guitar, doshpuluur lute, jaw harps, carillon Mandakhjargal Daansuren: morin khuur fiddle, khöömii, throat singing Kham Meslien: double bass Recorded and mixed by Bob Coke. Johanni Curtet is a musician, ethnomusicologist, producer and artistic director of Routes Nomades. For 20 years, he has been practicing and studying khöömii - Mongolian overtone singing - experimenting it through various creations. Several records of his production have been released by Buda musique: Tserendavaa & Tsogtgerel (2008), An Anthology of Mongolian Khöömii (2017), Khusugtun (2020), Batsükh Dorj (2023), as well as creations of his trio Meïkhâneh. With this soundtrack, Johanni signs a double premiere, a film score and a record in his name. This film is a cry from the heart for Mongolia perceived through the harsh daily life of a family in Ulaanbaatar: the abandoned yurt neighborhoods, the daily fight to survive the winter, the pollution of the coldest capital in the world, the question of equal opportunities, but also social issues such as the rural exodus and the gap between the nomadic presence and urban planning. Beyond the problems, Ulzii, the main character, embodies a great hope which pervades the entire story. The overtone voice is the continuity of this path of hope strewn with doubts that Ulzii follows, but also reminds his region of origin, Altai. Like his life, the instrumentarium is simple: guitar, doshpuluur lute, morin khuur fiddle, double bass, jaw harps and beatbox; just like their way of playing. This music is at the same time minimal, cheerful, soft or angry, repetitive to the point of stubbornness, like the moods that pass through the questions of this teenager who is trying to make it. It refers to Mongolian identity to become universal. The pentatonic modes rub shoulders with dissonances or blues, while seeking sometimes the rhythms from other nomadic cultures. Meanwhile, the discreet harmonic presence is everywhere.

Giuliano Gabriele will unveil his new album "Basta!" on its release February 23, 2024, on Coming MusicArt / InOuïe Distribution. This new work will be presented live on stage on Thursday March 21, 2024 at Studio de L’Ermitage (Paris). Cathartic rhythms from the South of Italy, in a dissident album with an emblematic title. Basta! tells of individuals in movement, ideally or unconsciously free, imprisoned in “contemporary systems”, where all the frustrations and fears live. Traditional cadences intertwine with current mixes between Mediterranean and world music. The album is produced by the eclectic Martin Meissonnier (Fela Kuti, Khaled, Alan Stivell, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Manu Dibango, Papa Wemba, Tony Allen...). On this album Giuliano Gabriele (voice - diatonic accordion) is accompanied by: Lucia Cremonesi: Viola - Calabrian Lyre Eduardo Vessella: Tambourine Gianfranco De Lisi: Electric bass Riccardo Bianchi: Drums Carmine Scialla: Bouzouki - Battente Guitar Giovanni Aquino: Electric Guitar - Synth Gianmarco Gabriele: Programming Martin Meissonnier: Programming Giuliano Gabriele Italian-French songwriter, singer and accordionist. Giuliano Gabriele is considered one of the hottest artists on the Italian World Music scene. To his credit, important live experiences: the Moods in Zurich, the Rudolstad festival in Germany, the Festival du Chant de Marin in Paimpol (Brittany), the European Jazz Expo in Cagliari, the Ravenna Festival and many others. Among his musical encounters we find: Hevia, Carlos Núñez, Bombino, Martin Meissonnier, Francesco de Gregori, Nada, Enzo Avitabile, Eugenio Bennato, Peppe Voltarelli, Riccardo Tesi, Marc Perrone... He wins several prizes, including the Andrea Parodi Festival 2015 (the most important world music prize in Italy). He works an actor-musician alongside the legendary Lindsay Kemp. His previous album, released in 2015, received excellent reviews, including: four stars "Songlines" (UK), top 20 "World Music Central" (USA) and World Music Charts Europe. For years he has also been involved in the artistic direction and programming of festivals dedicated to world music.

La Sève will unveil their new album "Chlorophylle" on its release January 12, 2024, on King Tao / InOuïe Distribution. This new work will be presented live on stage on Friday March 1, 2024 at Studio de L’Ermitage (Paris). La Sève draws its influences from West African music, particularly Cameroonian Bikutsi and Congolese Rumba. Chlorophylle, La Sève's new musical project, explores Ternary Form, and in particular Bikutsi, which was originally healing music sung by women. Ternary music, in 6/8 time, is fast, very rhythmical, and intended to get the hips swaying and the feet stomping. La Sève is made of: Guillaume Cornuel: guitar and voices Gregory Brustier: guitar and voices Samuel Paris: guitar and voices Frédéric Jebejian: drums, percussions and voices Like the life force that flows through plants. La Sève is a vital fluid that flows through the body in the rhythm of the dance. Since its creation, the band's underlying leitmotiv has been to make music that dances, vibrates, speaks to the body, and is reminiscent of ballroom music, but without using the same conventions. The group aspires to convey a primal, essential energy. With its new instrumental line-up of three guitars, drums and vocals, La Sève offers a direct and distinctive sound. It transcends the soundscape and reinvents the traditional repertoire. The musicians of La Sève build their musical style around a variety of combinations made possible using the three guitars, using counterpoint and an array of vocals that interweave into chords and melodies. The musicians of La Sève play Bikutsi in their own style. Their Rumba and Bikutsi take on the allure of math rock. They multiply musical influences, bringing together Ternary Forms such as the Waltz, Reggae and Jazz, both in their sound and in the arrangements of their themes. It's complex music, requiring a certain dexterity. The voices join in with the energy of the music, accompanying and enhancing the dance.

The group Dieuf-Dieul de Thiès will reveal their new self-titled album on January 19, 2024 on Buda Musique / Socadisc. Dieuf-Dieul de Thiès Fuzz guitars, horns and mind-blowing percussion create an explosive mix of psychedelic electric sound. The group gave his music a name, afro-mandingo, a Latin afro-jazz tendency permeated ,mixing modern and older cultures . After a huge success in Senegal and Gambia, Dieuf-Dieul de Thiès suddenly split up after 4 years of existence in 1983. Reformed in 2015, the group made its first 2 European tours in 2017. Today the story continues with the release of a first studio album. Dieuf-Dieul means: "Give-Receive" Tracklist CD: Na Bineta; Am Sa Waay; Djirim; Ariyo; Galo; Dieuf Dieul Ca Kanam; Taling Taling; Alin Na Djime (Live); Ndiguele (Live). Tracklist LP: Na Bineta; Am Sa Waay; Djirim; Ariyo; Galo; Dieuf Dieul Ca Kanam; Taling Taling.

Gwendoline Absalon will unveil her new single and video clip (directed by Allison Gran) "KIF- KIF" on its release November 15, 2023, on Ting Bang / InOuïe Distribution. The word KIF-KIF has come into common parlance in French long time ago as synonymous with "the same", this expression of Arab origin sets the tone for the new single of the Reunion island singer Gwendoline Absalon. But beware, it is even more meaningful! Give each other his share and a little more if it can improve his home, his entourage, humanity! Then... “KIFFER” -with two f this time- be aware of one’s place in the world, take it without being afraid... Here is in essence the new message wonderfully carried by Gwendoline Absalon, after the release of her second album Vangasay (TING BANG/ L'Autre Distribution) which made her one of the major figures of the Reunion scene. Composed by the singer and interpreted with this still captivating voice, the song is enriched by a featuring of the Reunion singer Pix'L. The two artists evolve in different universes: him, urban music, her, world music, but both are children of maloya. Enjoying each other’s career, they unexpectedly found themselves on stage in mainland France and Gwendoline shared the stage of Pix'L in late 2022 at the Teat Champ fleuri (Reunion). In KIF-KIF, the voice of Pix'L suddenly emerges, absolutely masterful, for a detonating duo, imagined by the arranger-director of Gwendoline, the pianist Hervé Celcal. KIF-KIF is then a complete single, loaded with a strong history which irresistibly invites to dance. Singer Gwendoline Absalon, born in St. Denis, La Réunion in 1992, of Malbar origin, already has a beautiful musical career. Music began with a family initiation, her uncle who is a musician, made her sing background vocals for a Maloya album when she was only 10 years old. She also owes playing the guitar to him Paradoxally Gwendoline chose music as a result of a struggle against prohibitions imposed by a strict education. At home, they listened to Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Cesaria Evora, but there was no celebrating, no partying. Therefore, it is her unique determination that led her to sing. She first studies classical singing and stage presence techniques. At 17 she wins “la Caravane des Talents” contest. At the same age, she meets musicians in high school among whom the pianist Matthieu Brillant. With him she wins another contest, “La Réunion’s best jazz singer” in 2010. This will lead her to do the first parts of Manu Katché and Hugh Coltman’s concerts at the “Téat Plein Air”, in La Réunion. She will also be by Eric Legnini’s side for a series of master classes on the island. Gwendoline leaves La Réunion for Bordeaux (a large community from the island is studying there) to live a young woman’s life in her manner. There, she starts studying music-therapy, graduates and starts working with heavily disabled people. In Bordeaux, one December night, chance leads her to a "fèt kaf" (Ceremony of the “Cafres” - descendants of African slaves) where young people are playing a Maloya, music that she neglected for so long. She takes it as a sign and decides to undertake her first album. This will be followed by a encounter with guitarist Rija Randrianivosoa (performing on second album Vangasay) and drums player Hugo Bertil. Her first album Dig Dig is released in 2018 (live extract: Voulvoul lamour) and directed by Rija. The album boosts Gwendoline’s success in La Réunion where she returns with a renewed spirituality that has nothing to do with religion. Two years later, a very decisive encounter with the pianist, arranger, composer and producer Hervé Celcal leads to Vangasay (name of a fruit), her second album. In Vangasay, the warm and clear voice of this young pathfinder invites everybody to assert their identity, in an astonishing Creole poetry. The musical arrangements by Hervé Celcal, between pop and world-music, an homage to tradition and fountain of youth at the same time, perfectly serve this upcoming artist’s philosophy. Since then, she has imposed herself as one of the upcoming figures of the young music-scene of La Reunion, as a guest in the major musical events of the island. She also had the opportunity to play Vangasay in Cape Verde, Portugal and Spain (summers 2022 and 2023) and France (Studio de l'Ermitage, 360 Factory, Sunside - Paris ; Jazz Nancy Festival...).

Dariana López will unveil her new album "Por Eso Canto" on its release November 3, 2023, on Nesso Production / Alta Fonte Distribution / InOuïe Distribution. This new work will be presented live on stage on Tuesday November 28, 2023 at Café de la Danse (Paris). With this album, performed in Spanish and French, Dariana takes her audience on a journey combining history, culture and different inspirations. Musicians such as Manuel Sanchez, Miguel Siso and Francis Arnaud also join her on « Por Eso Canto », a delightful masterpiece for all music lovers who enjoy the sounds and rhythms from around the world. « Por Eso Canto » is a journey of life told through nine tracks that swing between the energy of French romanticism and the joy of Latin notes. There's no better way to discover this artist with her soft, powerful voice. Dariana López is a Venezuelan singer and songwriter born in Mérida, Venezuela in April 1994. Her love for music and singing began at the age of five in her elementary school choir. She then began her musical training at the Escuela de Música del Estado Mérida, where she perfected her skills in the practice of the Venezuelan cuatro and later in popular singing and vocal technique. From a young age, she participated in different cultural activities such as the National Festival of Venezuelan Children's Voice "Fé y Alegría", the Festival de la Voz Liceísta and different recitals organized by the Licenciatura en Música Popular y Jazz of the Universidad de los Andes and the Casa de la Cultura "Juan Félix Sánchez". In 2019, she won the second place in the competition "Chant en français" organized by the Alliance française du Venezuela and the French Embassy in Caracas. For seven years she was part of the Cantoría de Mérida, an institution with 47 years of musical trajectory under the direction of Professor José Geraldo Arrieche and with a wide repertoire including classical, contemporary and Venezuelan music. Her versatility in singing has led her to experiment and stand out in different musical genres, and in recent years she has focused on popular singing with Venezuelan and Latin American roots. Since 2020, she has been living in Paris, France, where she continues her professional training in singing - contemporary music at the Conservatoire Edgar Varèse in Gennevilliers. At the same time, she is a singing teacher in the SONAR Association founded by the mandolinist/composer Cristóbal Soto for the diffusion and teaching of traditional Venezuelan music in France. Dariana López releases on November 3 2023, her first album as a singer-songwriter: an album produced by the cuatro-composer Miguel Siso and the label NESSO MUSIC; a project that reflects her sound universe... a musical identity where pop, jazz and the beauty of Venezuelan and Latin American music converge harmoniously.

AySay will unveil their new album "KÖY" on its digital release October 13, 2023, on No Bounds Music / Believe Digital and on its physical (CD + vinyl) release January 12, 2024, on No Bounds Music / InOuïe Distribution (France). AySay has, among other things, played Roskilde Festival, Heartland Festival and Tønder Festival in Denmark as well as festivals abroad such as Sinsal (Spain), Arctic Sounds (Greenland), Babel Music XP and Les Escales (France) including a summer tour in Canada. In November 2022, AySay went back to Canada, where they, among other things, played Mundial Montreal. Most recently, they have been won three DMA Roots Awards. The Danish trio will also attend the Eurosonic (ND) on January 17, 2024. In Luna Ersahin’s voice, rests a story of the whole person in a composite world. In Turkish, Danish and Kurdish, she creates a fascinating universe in AySay together with Aske Døssing Bendixen and Carl West Hosbond. In the tension between Anatolia’s musical traditions, hand-played instruments and electronic productions, AySay’s unique expression arises. The album With its pop-infused productions and elements of Anatolian psych rock, the album creates a universe where Danish, Turkish, and Kurdish seamlessly intertwine, and folk songs are given new life. "KÖY" translates to "village" in Turkish, and with this single word, AySay's new album encapsulates an exploration of identity, belonging, and communities.   The band For the active listener, AySay’s music is colorful, interwoven and surprising. For the dancing listener, the music will be enthralling, groovy and uplifting. And for those who use music for an inner journey, Luna’s voice and lyrics will show depth, honesty and hope. If Altin Gün, AURORA and Eivør sat down and wrote a song together, it would be the sound of AySay. AySay’s second concert ever was for the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017. Accompanied by Aarhus’ jazz and symphony orchestras, and with 70,000 people in the audience, this unique event perfectly frames the trio’s ability to both convey essential human themes and embrace a wide audience, always aming to take step closer towards a society that rests in its many differences. Since that evening, AySay has, among other things, played Roskilde Festival, Heartland Festival and Tønder Festival in Denmark as well as festivals abroad such as Sinsal (Spain), Arctic Sounds (Greenland) and Les Escales (France) including a summer tour in Canada. In November 2022, AySay will go to Canada, where they, among other things, will play Mundial Montreal. Most recently, they have been won three DMA Roots Awards in the categories: Name of the Year, Album of the Year (Su Akar) and Luna Ersahin as Composer of the Year. The band’s critically acclaimed debut album ’Su Akar’ was released in autumn 2021, and they will follow up in October 2023 with the album ’KÖY’.

Körinn Pierre-Fanfan will unveil her new album "Rêver" on its release November 17, 2023, on Rozo Production / InOuïe Distribution. This new work will be presented live on stage on Wednesday November 22, 2023 at La Petite Halle, La Villette (Paris). The new album Rêver, whose title is a palindrome, in keeping with her first album, is an encounter with numerous cultures, as gwo-ka (traditional music from Guadeloupe), jazz and pop, creating new musical variations that bring joy and delight. Carried along by Ruddy Boa arrangements, the artiste finds her inspiration in her native island, Guadeloupe. Sharing, rhizome-like, Caribbean area to the universal. On this album, Körinn Pierre-Fanfan (voice, lyrics sand compositions) is playing with the following musicians: Ruddy Boa: piano and arrangements Arnaud Dolmen: drums Kristof Négrit: drums Michel Alibo: double-bass Zacharie Abraham: double-bass Jean-Christophe Raufaste: bass Presentation: Confidential for a long time, Körinn Pierre-Fanfan is out in the open now. Trained at ATLA school and Richard Cross’s, she for a while roamed musical scenes as a backing vocalist for Brigitte, As Animals, Tony Allen, Youssoupha, Seun Kuti, and Nicoletta. Then the time had come for more personal projects where Körinn teamed with major players of french overseas music scene : Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Blick Bassy, Jonathan Jurion, Stéphane Castry, Frantz Laurac, Lionel Agénor ou Ralph Lavital. But it’s the meeting with the pianist Ruddy Boa that led her to become the accomplished artist she is now. In November 2019 her first album Traversée is released, a poetical introspection of her native Guadeloupe. The title also alludes to the Traversée road, a tropical forest protected in Guadeloupe. Between pop, soul, jazz and world music, Traversée discusses the importance of interpersonal relationships, a recurrent theme within the artist’s world. The artist word: "For me, as a songwriter, it is important to carry out such personal projects because the way of working and producing this music is intimately linked to the experience of the people you meet that the creation induces. These collaborations create beautiful synergies, first with Ruddy Boa, arranger and pianist I’ve been working with since the first album Traversée. They allow unexpected openings, new pers- pectives for each song of the album Rêver. This is very different from how I could work before. This new album, besides being a wish I have had for a long time, is a gift for me, because in Rêver, I can play a very personal score." Körinn Pierre-Fanfan

Batsükh Dorj will unveil his new album "Ögbelerim – Music for my Ancestors" on its release October 20, 2023, on Buda Musique / Socadisc.  After An Anthology of Mongolian Khöömii and Khusugtun’s Jangar, Routes Nomades produces a second emanation of this Anthology with the first album by the young soloist Batsükh Dorj. With : Batsükh Dorj: vocals, khöömei, kargyraa, sygyt, igil fiddle, doshpuluur lute, shoor flute, khomus mouth harp, attinduyou horse hooves, khai nose whistle Johanni Curtet: vocals, kharkhiraa, isgeree khöömii, guitar, doshpuluur lute, dan moi mouth harp Tsengel, the western most village of Mongolia. In the remote foothills of the upper Altai mountains, Batsükh Dorj perpetuates khöömei in his community. This remarkable musician perfectly masters the different throat singing styles typical of the Tuvans: khöömei (contracted throat singing), sygyt (whistled throat singing), kargyraa (deep throat singing), ezenggileer (lit. “stirrups”), and borbangnadyr (lit. “rolling”). Accompanied by Johanni Curtet, specialist in throat-singing in the West who arranged and produced her first album, Batsükh sings us about his nomadic culture through mountains and travels, notably by imitating the rhythms of horses and the flow of water. A rare and complete artist: luthier, he masters his own sound; and composer he brings a major contribution to his musical tradition. This Altai blues is a sound that is its, and that of this encounter between a Tuvan musician and a French researcher-musician in search of harmonic sounds, where the art of khöömei unites them. Seeking a folk acoustic sound in vast spaces, it is a free and spontaneous interpretation. Compositions in the codes of the tradition, revisited Tuvan traditional music, a fiddle that makes us forget the temporality, a lute that punctuates our cavalcades, the overtones that connect us to the elements, a timeless music, in tribute to our ancestors.

Kosasa (Exploring the World Through Music), the latest project spearheaded by artist Suissa, will reveal "Fé lève lo mort", a new album that will be accompanied by a photo book / CD, a documentary and several clips, on the occasion of its release on CD, vinyl and digital on October 6, 2023 by Chante et tais-toi / InOuïe Distribution. David Suissa (guitar, voice and compositions) gathered the following artists: Mélanie Bourire (percussions, voice), Teddy Doris (trombone), David Doris (percussions, congas), Lélin Gado (voice), Sébastien Joanniez (voice, lyrics), Luc Joly (saxophone), Vincent Girard (bass, doublebass, compositions), Frédéric Madia « GiliK » (percussions, voice), Anne Gaëlle Hoarau (voice), Marcel« Willy » Phyleas (rouleur), Eno Zangoun (percussions, voice).   THE PROJET Fé lève lo mort (Reviving the Past: A Musical Journey) It all started with the bond between Suissa, a musician from the metropolitan scene, and the enchanting island of Reunion island: its people, culture, music, and landscapes. It was the desire to share, exchange, and blend artistic elements that propelled Suissa forward. As a curious musician, Suissa embarked on a journey across various musical genres, forging connections and unifying voices. This musical exploration involved the Maloya world and artists from metropolitan France and the Reunion island, including authors, performers, and composers. The inaugural "Kosasa" laboratory ("What is that" in Creole) resulted on an album, a CD accompanied by a photo book, a documentary, and a series of music videos — all scheduled for release on October 2023.   THE LABORATORY We, a diverse group of artists, embarked on the inaugural stage of this creative laboratory on October 2019, accompanied by numerous guests at the Cité des Arts in Saint-Denis, the capital city of Reunion island. Sébastien Joanniez, at that time, author in a residence of the Indian Ocean National Drama Center, was inspired by the enchanting island that had left a profound impact on him. The interactions he had with the locals during a whole week, are centered around the theme of « Sunday » and led to the creation of texts, poems, and songs. Each day, a performer from the island, such as Mélanie Bourire, Eno Zangoun, Lélin Gado, Luc Joly, Teddy and David Doris, Frederik Madia "GiliK," Anne Gaelle Hoarau, Marcel Phyleas "Willy," and David Suissa, proposes and shares experiments with Sébastien Joanniez's texts and Suissa and Vincent Girard's musical compositions.The CD-book captures the pulse and emotions of these encounters, made possible with the support of CDNOI and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.   THE ALBUM After the Laboratory, David Suissa, Vincent Girard, and David Doris returned to the Tontons Flingueurs studio, to finish the album. This unique audio creation blends interviews, electronic elements, live events, songs, and the rich maloya tradition. All these elements are assembled in the "Fé lève lo mort" (Breathing New Life into the Past) album. The recording process spanned from October 2019 to July 2022 and took place at Cité des Arts with support from Cdnoi, Tontons Flingueurs studio, the Rogaton, and the Chante et Tais Toi studio. The project was brought to life by Chante et Tais Toi label and will be distributed by InOuïe Distribution.

Amin Al Aiedy will unveil his new album "Shams" on its release November 17, 2023, on Musiques en Balade / InOuïe Distribution. This new work will be presented live on stage on Thursday November 30, 2023 at 360 Paris Music Factory (Paris). "SHAMS is an ode to a captivating region of the world that truly fascinates me: Bilad al Sham, which translates to « Land of the Sun », encompassing the Levant or Middle East. Drawing inspiration from this culturally rich and vibrant area, I aimed to create music that radiates brightness and warmth." Amin Al Aiedy On this album and on stage, Amin Al Aiedy (oud and compositions) is playing in quartet with the following musicians: Vincent Forestier: piano Matheo Cielsa: drums Jean Waché: doublebass Amin Al Aiedy, composer and oud player: "Since childhood, the East and the West have always coexisted within me, whether in my blood, language, or the music listened to within the family. After studying contemporary music, then classical, and eventually delving into jazz, the paths of life led me to live and study on the other side of the Mediterranean, where I was able to deeply absorb Arab music and culture. It was upon returning from this journey that the need to create a two- dimensional music became apparent. The idea sprouted during the lengthy introspective period of confinement, finally culminating in the creation, at the beginning of the summer of 2020, of a project that synthesizes this journey." The project: "The aim of this music is to bring together the harmonic and rhythmic riches of the Western world with the oral tradition and melodic spirituality of the Eastern world. Jazz modes infuse themselves with Arab maqams, intertwining with diverse polyrhythms. Improvisation, too, takes flight, weaving between written cadences and crafting new arabesques together. SHAMS is an ode to a captivating region of the world that truly fascinates me: Bilad al Sham, which translates to « Land of the Sun », encompassing the Levant or Middle East. Drawing inspiration from this culturally rich and vibrant area, I aimed to create music that radiates brightness and warmth. Over the course of two years, I composed these nine pieces, seeking to paint a diverse landscape that effortlessly blends jazz, modes, and Arabic rhythms. Melody takes center stage, flowing through irregular beats and finding freedom in the musicians' improvisations, with whom I immensely enjoy playing." Amin Al Aiedy