Sara Qudah
The 4th edition of the Amman Jazz Festival kicks off today, Sunday, offering jazz lovers in Jordan the chance to enjoy live performances by musicians from around the world.
The main stage will be at the Haya Cultural Centre. The festival will also spread out in the city where the bands will share their music with a wider audience at the festival’s partner venues, Blue Fig, Trader Vic’s and Corner’s Pub.
For this week’s music list, 7iber chose for you works by artists participating in the festival. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch them live.
You can find out more details about the festival’s schedule on 7iber‘s events calendar.
Battery Dance (New York)
Battery Dance Company is a cultural anchor in lower Manhattan and an ambassador of dance around the world. Preparing for its 40th Anniversary Season, the Company is engaged in projects on five continents, collaborating with international artists through performances, educational outreach activities, professional development, partnerships and more. The performance features Mira Cook, Sean Scantlebury and special guest artist Adil Q. Adil from Baghdad.
Hani Mitwasi (Jordan)
With a BA in Musicology from the Jordan Academy of Music, and years of studying Flamenco music history and techniques, Hani Mitwasi’s music incorporates many forms of what he describes as “cross-cultural blending between the West and the Occident”.
Marc Perrenoud Trio (Switzerland)
Born in Berlin in 1981, Marc Perrenoud started playing piano and improvising at the age of six. He studied at the Geneva Conservatory up until 2001 and obtained his diploma in 2004 at the Lausanne Jazz School. Marc Perrenoud currently teaches at the Conservatory of Geneva. He is co-founder and artistic director of the festival “the Athénéennes” in Geneva.
The Trio has given more than 450 concerts in all the major festivals and jazz clubs around the world. Perrenoud is considered to be one of the finest musicians of his generation, along with the other members in his trio – Cyril Regamey on drums, and Jeremy Bruyere on the double bass.
Franz Von Chossy (Germany)
Franz von Chossy was born in Munich, where he started playing the piano at the age of six. He moved to the Netherlands to study at the conservatory of Amsterdam, and in 2003, he continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.
He won the “Dutch Jazz Competition 2006″ with his Trio, and Franz won the “Best Soloist” award during the same competition. In 2009, he won 2nd prize in the international Montreux Jazz solo Piano Competition.
In 2011, he founded his Quintet and released several albums under his own name, which were highly praised by the music press, and since then has toured the world presenting his own work as well as part of jazz combos such as the Pascal Schumacher Quartet and Arifa.
Laila Sabbagh (Palestine)
Laila was born in Palestine in 1988, and obtained her BA in music education from Palestine, and Spanish Language from the University of Barcelona – Spain. Laila is a talented singer who performs in Arabic, Spanish, English and Portuguese. She lived in Spain for several years and was inspired by the Spanish Latin music.
In this performance, Von Chossy will feature the Palestinian vocalist Laila Sabbagh, along with Jordanian musicians Helmi Fanni/ guitar, Maan Baidoun/ bass guitar & double bass, and Maher Hanhan/ drums and percussion.
Michelle Rounds (Australia)
Michelle Rounds is a 3rd generation professional singer, following her father and grandmother. She is renowned throughout Australasia and the Pacific as one of their finest jazz vocalists ever, and has released numerous albums both in collaboration and on her own. Michelle has presented many jazz concerts throughout the world and is admired for her courageous and versatile scatting; she has a very wide vocal range and continually delights her audiences with the creativity expressed in this range. She has received numerous awards, produced several album, and participates in festivals around the globe. Michelle Rounds will present a joint performance with the Jordanian Jazz Band Black Ice.
The Nordanians (Netherlands)
A steaming triple engine from Amsterdam North, Oene van Geel (viola), Mark Tuinstra (guitar) and Niti Ranjan Biswas (tabla virtuoso) write songs together based on “traditional ragas, smashing funk and delicate chamber music.”
Their first CD ‘Tabla Rasa’ was released in 2011 and gave them a lot of exposure in the press and gigs in the Netherlands and abroad.
Black Ice (Jordan)
The Baidoun brothers Hazem and Maan are among the first musicians who started the Jazz music scene in Jordan. In 1982, they founded Black Ice. Ali Fanni (drums) and Katia Krasova (vocals) joined them in 2008. The formation combines influences from Oriental music and Classical Western music in their own Jazz language, as well as cover tunes of funk, Jazz, Latin and Jazz fusion creating a unique dynamic and versatile style that appeals to a large audience.
