Robert Plant's guitarist Justin Adams, who produced the last Tinariwen album, has drawn together an extraordinary band of musicians from the Middle East and North Africa to create Music Matbakh - a title which evokes the sense of different ingredients coming together to create something delicious, with Matbakh meaning kitchen in Arabic.
Musicians from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia have been stirred into the Music Matbakh pot alongside British artists - and the talent is awesome. The lineup combines traditional and cutting-edge, bringing together ancient Arabic traditions, hip hop and electronica - musicians playing the oud and the ney meet MCs, electronica masters, and guitarists putting a new spin on metal, plus a range of remarkable singers.
As part of a three week UK residency, the project will be premiered in these four shows offering the very first opportunity to see this unique collaboration in action. The project will then go on to tour internationally.
Syria
Issam Rafea - Oud
Moslem Rahal - ney
Morocco
Bigg - mc
Hicham Bajjou - vocals
Lebanon
RGB - mc
Hiba Mansour – vocals
Yacoub Said Abu Ghosh – bass guitar
Tunisia
Skander Besbes - electronics
Lotfi Soua, percussionist
Jordan
Ruba Saqr - vocals
Egypt
Ousso – guitar
Mohamed Medhat - violin
Great Britain
Justin Adams – musical director
Andrew McCormack – keyboards
Leo Taylor – drums (with Clive Deamer at The Sage Gateshead)
This project was conceived by the British Council and Serious
so it will be the last but not least, ha? im sure it will be beautiful. make it big guys! hope to get an album. all this work.. needs to be spread. fingers x kisses a.
