Karim Baggili – Ocho Manos – Tome 1. (Take The Bus, 2023)
Karim Baggili is a name that has been familiar to world music enthusiasts for several years now. Following the release of his highly acclaimed duology “Apollo You Sixteen,” the Belgian composer, guitarist, and oud player has released “Ocho Manos – Tome 1.” Ocho manos means eight hands in Spanish.
This release is the result of a long-awaited collaboration between Karim and his longtime friend Etienne Serck. The compositions on this album are fresh, modern, and radical. The album is entirely dedicated to the oud, with a privileged place for percussion and rhythms that draw influences from a variety of cultures, including Peru, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
Karim Baggili’s love for music started at a young age, when he was inspired by Mark Knopfler’s playing. He started playing the electric guitar at sixteen and has been composing ever since. Later, he was introduced to the world of flamenco, and the remarkable performances of Paco de Lucia fascinated him. Self-taught, he worked hard on the different techniques of the flamenco guitar. During a trip to Jordan, he acquired an oud, and it opened up new possibilities for his compositions.
Karim’s albums build on each other, with each one complimenting the previous one. His passion for music has led him to work on many projects as a composer and arranger, including CDs, short films, documentaries, and feature films.
He has performed on several stages, ranging from small, intimate ones to large ones in Belgium and abroad, including Samaritaine, Ferme du Biéreau, Centre Culturel de Huy, Festival d’Art de Huy, Festival Paroles d’Hommes, Festival Esperanzah, Francofolies, Ancienne Belgique, Green Note in London, Dubai, Kuwait, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, among others.
Buy Ocho Manos – Tome 1.
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.