Anouar Brahem

Anouar Brahem was born in 1957 in Halfaouine, part of the medina of Tunis. He began studying the ‘oud at the National Music Conservatory of Tunis when only ten years of age. By the time he was 15 he was already playing with local orchestras and at 18 he decided to dedicate himself solely to music. Over the following four years, Anouar Brahem went every day to study classical Arabic music and the subtleties of his instrument with his master Ali Sitri. The musician soon widened his horizons to include music from India or Iran and discovered jazz.

With his very first compositions, Brahem demonstrated the ‘oud’s potential, far greater than that of a simple accompanying instrument. His concerts soon caught the attention of the country’s critics, but the Tunisian’s musical scene could not provide him with sufficient work. The only income for an ‘oud player was from playing with wedding singers and for television programmes.

In 1981 Brahem moved to France where his talent found expression through his contact with other artists. He composed for the choreographer Maurice Béjart and in 1983 collaborated with Gabriel Yared on the soundtrack for Costa Gravas’ film “Hanna K”. For a period of four years he performed in various festivals around Europe. In 1985 Anouar Brahem went to Carthage where he brought together Turkish gypsy, Tunisian and French jazz musicians to play his instrumental piece entitled “Liqua 85” for which he won the Tunisian Grand Prize of Music.

In 1987 he became director of the Musical Ensemble of Tunis. He transformed this large and cumbersome configuration into a series of small groups which alternated between classical repertories and creations. He brought back the original style of traditional orchestra, the “takht” in which each instrument takes turns at playing solo, improvising on a central theme. He worked on ancient manuscripts and collaborated with the poet Ali Louati, writing songs in the old style. He then worked with great singers such as Nabiha Karaouli, Sonia M’Barek, Saber Rebaï and Teresa de Sio. Ironically, his song “Ritek ma naaref ouin”, inspired by folklore and sung by Lotfi Bouchnak, became a hit for weddings.

In 1990 Anouar Brahem left the Musical Ensemble of Tunis and went on tour of the United States. Soon after he became head of the “Centre of Arabic and Mediterranean music” but still wanted to concentrate on his personal career. His meeting with Manfred Eicher, founder of the legendary record label ECM, provided him with the chance to give free reign to his musical imagination. His first album “Barzakh” (1991) is the result of his work with Tunisian virtuosos Bechir Selmi and Lassad Hosni. His second opus, ‘Conte de l’incroyable amour” (1992) recorded with the clarinettist Barbaros Erköse and the Turkish nai player Kudsi Erguner, allowed him to bring to life his wonderful vision of contemporary Mediterranean music. In 1993 he persuaded his master Ali Sitri to perform again, this time with Brahem in a series of thirty sold out concerts presenting the North African and Oriental traditional repertory, either instrumental or sung by Sonia M’Barek. In 1994 their deep mutual respect united Brahem and Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Their record “Madar”, featuring Pakistan’s tablas player Shaukat Hussain, is a formidable example of the rich exchange between two musicians sharing a common quest, that of a universal tradition. The album “Khomas” (1995) was the occasion for Brahem to go back to tracks he had composed for film soundtracks, here performed by a sextet featuring, amongst others, the French accordionist Richard Galliano.

The record “Thimar”, released in 1997, bore witness to a new encounter that transcended all genres, that of the ‘oud player with bass player Dave Holland and saxophonist-clarinettist John Surman. The trio performed this repertory on stages around the world. In the beginning of this third millennium, Anouar Brahem says that he has reached the end of his career’s second cycle. The album “Astrakan Café”, recorded with his loyal friends Lassad Hosni and Barbaros Erköse, proposes a perfectly coherent collection of traditional songs, old compositions and new pieces. Once again, he proves that Tunisian music can be rich, proud of its roots and completely modern. He has recorded five albums since 2000, a prolific rate for an artist who has dedicated his career to bringing the ‘oud into the 21st century.

March 2006

Benjamin MiNiMuM & Daniel Brown

Benjamin MiNiMuM