Alaa Zouiten – Aficionado – Flamenco Moro (self-release, 2025)
Aficionado – Flamenco Moro is a captivating project by Moroccan virtuoso musician Alaa Zouiten that effortlessly brings together flamenco with Moroccan-Andalusian traditions. Zouiten, an oud player and singer, studied flamenco in Andalusia (southern Spain) from 2015, taking inspiration from artists such as guitar giant Paco de Lucía. Much of the album was written in Granada.
The repertoire interweaves established forms from both worlds. A fandango moves into a nuba; a flamenco tango integrates North-African rhythms and jazz harmonies; an Arabic samai transitions to a soleá. The album documents shared histories across these repertoires and presents a splendid, passionate, and masterfully crafted cross-regional approach to composition by Zouiten.
Alaa Zouiten on oud, voice; Maria del Tángo on cante; Roland Satterwhite on violin; Yazan Ibrahim on guitar; Didier Del Aguila on e-bass; Israel Suarez El Piraña on cajón, palmas, percussion; Naoufal Montassere on guitar, guitars; Rhani Krija on Moroccan and Arabic percussion; Antonio Moreno Pumuki on cajón, palmas; Ayman Hlal on violin; Shasta Ellenbogen on viola; Emilia Viktoria Lomakova on cello; Ray Aseri on voice; Basma Jabr on voice; Sara Sanchez on taconeos (baile).
- Granà (tangos) 06:12
- True Story (tanguillos marroquí) 05:48
- Shmisha (fandangos de Huelva) 05:56
- Purpur Kora (rumba) 05:29
- Purpurya (taksim) 05:45
- Generalife (samai por solea) 07:58
- Bulerias del gitano moro (bulerias) 05:26
- Abouab Fes (btayhi) 06:23
- La fuente de la Amapola (taksim por taranta) 08:29
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.