Alif Ensemble فرقة الألف

Formed by some of the brightest musical talent from across the Arab world, the Alif Ensemble brings together artists from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and Iraq. Conceived by multi- talented oud player and serial collaborator Khyam Allami in partnership with two of the most inventive and independent Arabic musicians of today – Palestinian composer and vocalist Tamer Abu Ghazaleh and Egyptian electronica musician Maurice Louca – the Alif Ensemble is a pan- Arabic collaboration. This core trio is joined by musicians from both traditional and contemporary Arabic music disciplines, including percussionist Khaled Yassine (Lebanon) and bassist Khaled Omran (Syria).

The ensemble debuted in summer 2012 at prestigious UK festivals: the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, Harrogate International Festival and the BT River of Music Festival (part of the Olympics-related London 2012 Festival) after a week-long residency hosted by the Liverpool Philharmonic. They also performed an intimate concert at the IKON Gallery in Birmingham. Public and critical reaction to these debut concerts made it clear that the project has an exciting future ahead, and the Alif Ensemble (named after the first letter in the Arabic alphabet) are currently working on recording and touring plans for 2013.

During time spent together – a month in Cairo – ahead of their first gigs, the ensemble developed a darkly compelling and energetic sound-world from a beguiling blend of acoustic and contemporary electronic sounds. In a review of one the band’s very first performances The Wire, the UK’s premiere experimental and avant garde music magazine, described the Alif Ensemble as:

“a vehicle for original composition, attuned to the traditions of Arabic music, but applying a rock dynamic to their delivery [...] The dominant Alif character is one of a collective sound, each member working at the service of the compositions, rarely stepping forward to solo, and usually sounding equally balanced.”Band

Khyam Allami (Oud)

Tamer Abu Ghazaleh (Vocals, Buzuq)

Maurice Louca (Electronics)

Khaled Omran (Bass)

Yarub Smarait (Violin)

Ayman Mabrouk (Perc)

Khaled Yassine (Perc)

(Source : Facebook)

Alif Ensemble فرقة الألف - Three songs

01 Al-Juththa (The Corpse) Live
02 Hasat حصاة(Pebble) - Live in Beirut 29 Dec 2012
03 Intadhirha (Wait for Her) Live

HERE

Tamer Abu Ghazaleh تامر أبو غزالة - Mir'ah مرآة

Is a composer of alternative Arabic music, and an Oud, Buzuq, and vocal performer. The lyrics in his compositions are in formal (fus-ha), Palestinian, or Egyptian dialect, written by himself or by Arab poets. The lyrics, in general, are not directed towards a specific theme; they express an array of human experience that is not defined by time or place: love, challenge, insecurity, boredom, thrill, frustration, etc.

Tamer's music absorbs the lyrics, chews them, re-arranges their perspective, and bursts them as expressive originals that are certainly defined by time and place; the current time; Palestine. If the lyrics speak of love and passion, the music speaks of love separated by the Apartheid Wall and passion under siege. This link seems inevitable for any honest musical expression throughout the Palestinian musical scene, even if it is not evident at the first glance.

(Source : http://www.eka3.org)

 

تامر أبو غزالة هو ملحن وعازف العود و بزق و مغني . كلماته تكون في العادة في الغة العربية الفصحى ، التي كتبها بنفسه أو اخذها من شعراء العرب. كلمات تامر أبو غزالة بصفة عامة , ليست موجهة نحو موضوع محدد ؛ وأنما تمتاز بوصف مجموعة من الخبرات البشرية التي لم يتم تعريفها من قبل زمان أو مكان : الحب ، والتحدي ، وانعدام الأمن ، والضجر ، والتشويق ، والإحباط

Tamer Abu Ghazaleh تــامــر أبــو غــزالــة - Mir'ah مـــرآة




01 - 7ob
02 - Takhabot
03 - Al Shibak
04 - Mir'ah
05 - Dawameh
06 - Hawel Ya Ghannam
07 - Sokoot
08 - Namla

HERE


Takhabot - Ghassan Halwani & Tamer Abu Ghazaleh

‎"Takhabot" تخبط is a 5 minute animated music film by Ghassan Halwani & Tamer Abu Ghazaleh. The film reflects the political & socio-economic chaos that a modern Arab is continuously witnessing, increasingly day after day.
Film by Ghassan Halwani. Song by Tamer AbuGhazaleh from the Album Mir'ah, by eka3. Written & Directed by Ghassan Halwani. Animation by Ghassan Halwani. Lyrics & Composition by Tamer Abu Ghazaleh