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Lebanon is set to be serenaded by the harmonious blends of Sufi jazz, thanks to Station Beirut, a nexus for both Lebanese and international contemporary artists. This cultural hub is launching its winter program with a remarkable Sufi jazz concert. The legendary tenor Mounir Troudi, accompanied by his Sufi Jazz Trio, will embark on a tour across Lebanon for three performances in February: on February 1 at Hammam Al Jadeed in Saida, on February 2 at Station Beirut, and on February 3 at Stereo Kawalis in Tripoli.
Originally scheduled for November 2023, Mounir Troudi’s Lebanon tour, orchestrated by Station’s Shuruq Music platform, was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. Nevertheless, Mounir and his colleagues, driven by a spirit of perseverance, insisted on performing for the Levantine audience during these uncertain times, determined to share their transcendent music and bring a moment of serenity to the Lebanese public. The Tunisian tenor Mounir Troudi thus inaugurates Station’s winter season with his mystical music, a fusion of Sufi poetry, electro-jazz and Bedouin influences.
Recognized as one of the region’s emblematic voices, Mounir consistently sought to expand the Sufi repertoire by experimenting with sounds from various backgrounds. He collaborated with luminaries such as Brian Eno, Archie Shepp and Erik Truffaz. With the latter, he produced two albums under the Blue Note Records label. For this memorable evening of Sufi Jazz, Mounir Troudi is joined by Latvian drummer Artis Orubs and French multi-instrumentalist SIG, on keyboards, cello and sound effects. The trio, arriving from Istanbul, is in the midst of a regional tour.
This event promises to be a moving experience, merging the mystical with the modern, the spiritual with the universal, and bringing warmth to our hearts and souls.
Nabil Canaan, founder and director of the cultural space Station in Beirut, sheds light on the specific choice of Sufi and jazz genres, “Station Beirut launched Shuruq Music in 2022, a music platform to promote artists from the WANA (West Asia, North Africa) region. In the spirit of this initiative, we aim to present a panorama of the region’s musical creation, notably by welcoming a diversity of musical genres and artists from the Maghreb to Lebanon. Tunisian tenor Mounir Troudi is one of the most beautiful voices in the Arabic language, who we have appreciated for years. He has dedicated his artistic career to expanding the Sufi repertoire by collaborating with artists from different horizons; avant-garde Brian Eno, virtuoso Archie Shepp, or Franco-Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz with whom he recorded two albums on Blue Note. Station is launching its winter 2024 program with this superb concert in which Sufi poetry meets jazz and electro pulses led by French multi-instrumentalist Sig and Latvian drummer Artis Orubs. Both have already performed on the Station stage, accompanying Erik Truffaz in 2019.” He adds, “We are honored to present this exceptional Sufi Jazz Trio to the Lebanese audience, offering a unique moment between mysticism and modernity, where Arabic poetry, Mounir’s voice, and the Trio’s music promise a transcendent musical experience. We come to sprinkle a moment of magic, gentleness and dreams for an evening.”
Regarding the artists’ insistence on coming to Lebanon despite the current situation, Nabil Canaan asserts, “This concert was originally scheduled for November but was postponed due to security concerns. However, the artists insisted on coming to Lebanon despite uncertainties, driven by the determination to share a unique experience with the Levantine audience and to bring a moment of gentleness and transcendence through Sufi poetry and the group’s avant-garde music. Mounir has been engaged in humanitarian actions in Tunisia, while Sig regularly visits Lebanon.” This concert reflects the unwavering commitment of these artists to Lebanon’s culture and public, symbolizing a beacon of hope and resilience through art in turbulent times.
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Marie-Christine Tayah
Instagram: @mariechristine.tayah