Mustafa Said & Asil Ensemble – Maqam Pilgrims (Mapamundi Música, 2025)
Egyptian composer and oud master Mustafa Said returns with Maqam Pilgrims, a superb new release in partnership with the Aga Khan Music Program. The masterfully constructed pieces on the album reimagine the classical Arabic maqam tradition through an original set of vocal and instrumental works. Rather than adhering to standard modal forms, Said aligns melody and rhythm directly with Arabic poetry, evoking themes of distance, estrangement, and the human condition.
The album features memorable work Mustafa Said on oud and vocals, joined by an ensemble of highly talented Arabic and European virtuoso musicians from various musical traditions. Together, they create the charming, lavish and dazzling atmosphere of the classic North African and Middle Eastern Arabic orchestras that feature charismatic lead singers along with top instrumentalists who deliver extensive instrumental passages. The instruments used include various types of ouds, Baghdadi tanbur, Rumi tanbur, qanun, santur, ney, violin, viola, cello, and percussion.
Maqam Pilgrims was recorded at All Saints’ Cathedral in Cairo in October 2021. It features all original compositions by Said, except for a single instrumental prelude adapted from Kitab al-Adwar by 13th-century theorist Safi al-Din al-Urmawi.
Born in Cairo and blind since birth, Mustafa Said learned music through Braille, later studying at the Arabic Oud House and earning degrees in linguistics and musicology from institutions in Egypt and Lebanon. As founder and artistic director of the Asil Ensemble, he has pursued a rigorous yet exploratory approach to the maqam system, based on improvisation, historical inquiry, and philosophical reflection.
Notably, Mustafa Said was honored in 2019 by the Aga Khan Music Program. In addition, Said has taught widely across the Middle East, Europe, and Japan. His previous recordings include Rubaiyat El Khayyam (2008), Asil (2009), Burda (2015), Autism (Tawḥūd) (2016), Ouds (2020), and Al-Nabʿ wa-l-Ghār (2024), as well as the ongoing Tasali al-Layali live recording series launched in 2021.
Asil Ensemble musicians: Mustafa Said, Mohammad Antar, Bilal Bitar, Joss Turnbull, Maria Rijo, Amr Mustafa, Shadi Ibrahim, Joseph Roman, Ahmad Al-Khuzami, Abd ElMajid Sami, Mohammad Mustafa, Seraj Esam.
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.