The New Sound of Ahadaff

Mohamed Ahaddaf combines Western jazz with his Andalusian roots and Middle Eastern influences, used in an exciting and colorful sound. During this concert he will play a number of new songs.

Mohamed Ahaddaf is a composer and musician from Morocco, deeply rooted in Andalusian culture. He studied at the Tetouan Conservatory and was taught by the grandmaster Mohamed Ramat. He was a soloist of the Andalusian orchestra of Mohamed Lardi Temsamani. Mohamed Ahaddaf has lived in the Netherlands for over 20 years and is a respected musician. In addition to his Andalusian roots, he has developed in jazz and Arabic music. In 2010, he founded ‘Ahaddaf Quartet’ with ud, piano, bass and percussion. An unusual combination, where the piano and the ud are central. These instruments are based on various culturally determined music practices. The ud for Arabic music, is what the piano is for Western music (every musician plays a little piano and the piano is present in almost every combination). Every musician plays a little ud, and it is the basis of every orchestra. Combining these two instruments requires extra attention, not least because of the upright, tempered mood of the piano and the free, quarter-note-tuned tunings of the ud.

This concert is organized in collaboration with the Art and Dialogue Foundation, OBA and Marmoucha, where Mohamed Ahaddaf is the artistic coordinator of the Middle Eastern and North African music of the Marmoucha Collective. He was also closely involved in the establishment.