The Tunisian composer and Oudist Anouar Brahem challenged boundaries for the last 20 years, and become an innovative and natural voice on the international jazz and contemporary music scene. Crossing traditional Arabic folk music and classical Western sounds he creates a beautiful, dramatic, and melancholic sound which at the same time is defined by a lightness and approachability.

His collaborations stretch over borders and genres, including amongst others the clarinetist and composer Barbarose Erköse and jazz musicians such as Jan Garbarek, John Surman, Dave Holland, and Richard Galliano. Anouar Brahem has released eight albums, all well received by both public and critics. He has been awarded the German Echo Jazz Award for best international musician as well as been named ”Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French state. In 2012 he became a member of the Tunisian academy for science, art, and literature.

Anouar Brahem’s latest album Souvenance, released in 2014 after six years of silence, was according to him derived from thoughts and memories of the Arabic spring. By his side this time is François Coutier on Piano, Klaus Gesing on bass clarinet, and Björn Meyer playing the bass. Together the quartet create melodies characterized by fragility and sorrow—constant shifts between hope and despair.

During the European premiere of the album at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, the compositions were met by standing ovations and in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter a critic described the album: “at times worryingly dissonant and melancholily arresting, at times unearthly beautiful and challenging. Even after listening to it 30 times.”

In July Anouar Brahem will be visiting Gothenburg and will give us the opportunity to experience his critically acclaimed, innovative, and timeless compositions.