Al Qantara – The Bridge (Adventure Music, 2013)
Al Qantara is the result of an encounter between Brazilian jazz musicians and several musicians from Morocco. The project was led by pianist, composer and producer Benjamim Taubkin
The Brazilians provided jazz and Brazilian rhythms. The Moroccan musicians added Gnawa, Berber and Arabic influences along with North African percussion, oud (Arabic lute) and guimbri (a bass lute used by the Gnawa).
The final result is mix of vibrant Middle Eastern jazz, melancholic pieces and straight ahead jazz.
The lineup on the album includes Benjamim Taubkin on piano, João Taubkin on bass, Lulinha Alencar on accordion, Ari Colares on percussion, Mehdi Nassouli on guimbri, Farid El Foulahi on oud, and Lahoucine Bagir on percussion
Al Qantara – The Bridge showcases the cross-pollination that resulted when Benjamim Taubkin put together an ensemble of first class musicians from Brazil and Morocco.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
