MALAK
Exploring new horizons, Dhafer Youssef crosses the road of Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu who invites Dhafer to perform with him in different European countries.Over the concerts, the artist gains in maturity. The confirmation comes with the release in 1998 of “Malak” under the Label Enja Records. Along with the European jazz melodic structures, the Mediterranean groove takes a particular form. This marks the beginning of an authentic musical identity which is impregnated with the artist origins far from falling into typical Orientalism. On this opus Dhafer Youssef is accompagnied by trumpeter Markus Stockhausen, electric guitarist Nguyên Lê, bassists Renaud Garcia-Fons and Achim Tang , violinist Zoltan Lantos, drummer Patrice Héral, tambourine player Carlo Rizzo, tabla player Jatinder Thakur and bansuri player Deepak Ram. On “A Kind of Love,” his high, lithe voice interacts with Stockhausen’s plaintive trumpet…On “Jito and Tato”, though; the palette opens up to include Indian elements of Deepak Ram’s bansuri and Jatinder Thakur’s tabla playing. This is music in no hurry to impress in explicit, pyrotechnical ways, but does so in spite of itself.”
“Youssef’s work leans toward a more reflective nature and improvisational openness. A probing introspection flows, in spite of his often-virtuosic musical gifts”
“Achingly beautiful vocal”
MALAK
Exploring new horizons, Dhafer Youssef crosses the road of Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu who invites Dhafer to perform with him in different European countries.Over the concerts, the artist gains in maturity. The confirmation comes with the release in 1998 of “Malak” under the Label Enja Records. Along with the European jazz melodic structures, the Mediterranean groove takes a particular form. This marks the beginning of an authentic musical identity which is impregnated with the artist origins far from falling into typical Orientalism. On this opus Dhafer Youssef is accompagnied by trumpeter Markus Stockhausen, electric guitarist Nguyên Lê, bassists Renaud Garcia-Fons and Achim Tang , violinist Zoltan Lantos, drummer Patrice Héral, tambourine player Carlo Rizzo, tabla player Jatinder Thakur and bansuri player Deepak Ram. On “A Kind of Love,” his high, lithe voice interacts with Stockhausen’s plaintive trumpet…On “Jito and Tato”, though; the palette opens up to include Indian elements of Deepak Ram’s bansuri and Jatinder Thakur’s tabla playing. This is music in no hurry to impress in explicit, pyrotechnical ways, but does so in spite of itself.”
“Youssef’s work leans toward a more reflective nature and improvisational openness. A probing introspection flows, in spite of his often-virtuosic musical gifts”