Percussion, the Ud and vocals, that’s all the El Berdaoui-Strazzante duo needs to bring a varied set based on the maqam’s classical repertoire, a basic concept in Arabic-Ottoman music. To that wonderful mix they add also their own compositions: a foretaste of the album they are working on.

 

 

Younes El Berdaoui has lived in Brussels since 2006. It’s here that he discovered the Ud and was initiated into the world of modal music by the Iraqi musician Wessam Al Azzawy and the Syrian Ud player and composer Elias Belgisch-Bachoura. His passion for the Ud and classical Arabic-Ottoman music brings him to many countries including Egypt, Greece and Turkey. Thanks to these musical wanderings, he perfects his technique and learns the maqam of Ud masters such as Yurdal Tokcan (Turkey), Ahmed El Khatib (Palestine), Naseer Shamma (Iraq), Necati Celik (Turkey) and Mehmet Bitmez (Turkey). Since 2009, Younes has been giving concerts in Belgium, accompanied by Arab classical music ensembles (takht) at various festivals and cultural events.

Carlo Strazzante was initiated in Eastern music and the study of darbuka, bendir and riqq by top musicians such as Dahmane Khalfa, Habib Yammine & Zohar Fresco. In addition, he also studied other musical traditions, especially from India, Iran and southern Italy. He has played numerous concerts in Europe and in Asia.