TAREK YAMANI >> Piano Solo / Piano Trio >> Jazz / Afro Tarab

TAREK YAMANI >> Piano Solo / Piano Trio >> Jazz / Afro Tarab

PIANO SOLO PROJECT Tarek’s concept of Afro Tarab is a performance that implements Arabic traditional/early songs into the sounds of African American Jazz and vice versa. Tarek has been extensively researching and adapting Arabic rhythms such as the Dabke and the Sama’i into a personal compositional approach which led to works such as “Dabke in Eb Nakriz, New Dabke, Sama’i Yamani (awarded Grand Prize of the prestigious “Thelonious Monk Intl Jazz Composers Competition”), he also adapts Arabic “standards” into the rich harmonic fields of Jazz such as his arrangement of Sayed Darwich’s “Lahn Al Shayalin”. Tarek has been touring with this performance since January 2013 and it has been delivered to and very well received by audiences in Los Angeles (Blue Whale), Detroit (Detroit Institute of Arts), Tunis (Ennejma Ezzahra), Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), Amman (Rainbow Theater), Dubai (The Fridge) & Beirut (Metro Al Madina) to name a few. © David Hancock

Links of proposed work: Lahn Al Shayalin (Sayed Darwich): www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL1Z1SzqjJ4 New Dabke (Tarek Yamani): www.youtube.com/watch?v=kolstqhxQRk Dabke in Eb Nakriz (Tarek Yamani): www.soundcloud.com/tarekyamani/dabke-in-eb-nakriz I’ve Never Been in Love Before (feat. Guest Elie Afif): http://youtu.be/VTYXHn5N2TE

W: www.tarekyamani.com Y: www.youtube.com/abottoot E: [email protected] T: +1-6263908568 / +961-71409112


PIANO TRIO Project: ASHUR Featuring Tarek Yamani on piano, Goran Krmac on tuba and Kristijan Kranjcan on drums, ASHUR is the debut record by Tarek Yamani Trio. After a year of Ashur’s release, the album that featured original compositions inspired by Jazz & Afro-Arabic heritage, the band is now taking this new direction much further by both, adapting Arabic sounds into Black American music & adapting the rich harmonic depths of Jazz into the arrangement of Arabic songs and the composition of new material that Tarek calls “Afro Tarab Music”.

© Houssam Mcheimech

Tarek Yamani’s Afro Tarab repertoire is a mix of re-arrangements of traditional or early Arabic songs such Muwashah Lamma Bada Yathanna, Sayed Darwich’s “Lahn Al Shayalin”; rearrangements of pop songs such as the Korgis’ “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”; rearrangements of Jazz standards such as Coltrane’s “26-2” and Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”; and lastly original compositions that flow from Tarek’s Arabic heritage such as “New Dabke”, “Ashur”, “Sama’I Yamani”, “Theme From Ash”, etc... “Yamani's recognition is well-deserved. He plays with cognitive flair, opening a melody in a vibrant pool of rich harmonic ideas and never shies from being adventurous. On this trio recording, he plays five originals and reshapes a pop tune, three jazz standards and pays homage to Bach. He also makes a change in the piano trio format dispensing with the bass for the tuba of Goran Krmac. …His variations ooze sinew and flex as he brings in a breath of fresh air to the compositions. "Sama'i Yamani" lyrically balances Arabic motifs and flamenco moods. Yamani divines the two and balances them with textured flair that finds jauntiness complemented by dreamy interlocutions and driving surges. Yamani is a dynamic performer with an intuitive feel for melodicism and development. This makes him worth watching.” Jerry D’Souza – All About Jazz

Links: Lamma Bada Yatathanna: http://bit.ly/HXP3dU Sama’i Yamani (Emmy Nominee): http://youtu.be/P_aHGYLEfT4 New Dabke (trio version): http://youtu.be/jOs2AsL89_E Ashur: http://youtu.be/MU_SIVp5Jmo Listen to whole album: www.soundcloud.com/tarekyamani


TAREK YAMANI >> Piano Solo / Piano Trio >> Jazz / Afro Tarab Biography: Born and raised in Beirut, Tarek is an award winning, self-taught jazz pianist and composer who got exposed to Jazz around the age of 19. In 2010, Tarek won the "Thelonious Monk Int'l Jazz Composer’s Competition" for his composition "Sama'i Yamani" which is released as a single featuring singer Rasha Rizk. On April 30th 2012, Tarek was invited to be among the 32 musicians from 13 countries to perform in the inaugural of the "International Jazz Day" held at the UN headquarters in New International Jazz Day 2012, UN Assembly Hall / © Thos Robinson York City - along with Wayne Shorter, Richard Bona, Zakir Hussein & Vinnie Colaiuta- a celebration announced by UNESCO and Herbie Hancock to proclaim jazz as an international language. Tarek has been recently touring with his Piano Solo performance whose repertoire ranges from Arabic, Brazilian & Jazz standards to original compositions that are based in rhythms and modes from the Levant. The performance has so far been delivered to and very well received by audiences in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Alexandria, Amman, Dubai, Tunis & Beirut. Since arriving to NYC in 2011, Tarek has played as a leader or sideman, in New York's best jazz clubs such as the Lenox Lounge, Iridium, Smoke, Smalls, Cornelia Street Cafe, Bill’s Place, The Stone, Cleopatra's Needle, Le Poisson Rouge, Shapeshifter Lab, Nublu, Somethin Jazz Club & 55 Bar. Internationally, Tarek has performed in different formations around Europe, North Africa, USA and the Middle East and shared the stage with great artists such as Michael Moore, Troy Roberts, Ari Hoenig, Ambrose Akinmusire, Jimmy Greene, Khaled Yassine, Bill Saxton, Drew Gress & Chico Freeman to name a few. On April 30th 2013, Tarek organized & produced a first-of-a-kind event called “Beirut Speaks Jazz” which gathered 16 artists from all musical backgrounds to pay tribute to Jazz. Among the participating artists were Hamed Sinno (Mashrou’ Leila), Zeid Hamdan, Sima, Chady Nashef, Rasha Rizk, Ghazi Abdel Baki, Elie Afif, Nidal Abu Samra and many more. He recently wrote the music of “ASH”, a short film by Yasmina Hatem, produced by Cinephilia Productions & which had its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival 2013. Tarek served as a music juror for the 2013 cycle of the leading Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC).


TAREK YAMANI >> Piano Solo / Piano Trio >> Jazz / Afro Tarab Awards: * In 2012, Tarek’s ASHUR Promotion Video was a Blue Ribbon finalist at the EMMY AWARDS, Los Angeles. * In October 2010, Tarek was awarded the grand prize of the “Thelonious Monk Jazz Composer’s Competition” sponsored by BMI. * In July 2010, Tarek was selected to perform in the world’s 1st international solo competition “Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition”, in Switzerland. * In June 2010, Tarek received the prestigious Prins Bernhard Cultural Foundation Grant where recipients not only belong to the top 10% of their generation but also passed strict selection.

With Herbie Hancock at 25th anniversary of Monk Institue / © Rebecca D’Angelo

* In February 2010, Tarek was selected to participate in “Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead 2011” residency in the Kennedy Center, Washington DC. * In May 2009, Tarek’s composition “Theme & Variation” won the new Dutch contest & was recorded by the West Coast Big Band in Amsterdam. * In September 2009, Tarek received the Andrea Elkenbracht Fonds award from the municipality of Groningen, the Netherlands. * In January 2007, Tarek received the prestigious Huygens Scholarship, from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science.



Selected Past Performances: MuCEM Museum – Marseille, France Detroit Institute of Arts – Detroit, USA United Nations Assembly Hall – New York, USA Ljubljana Jazz Festival – Ljubljana, Slovenia The Iridium – New York, USA Blue Whale – Los Angeles, USA The Fridge – Dubai, UAE Rainbow Theater – Amman, Jordan Bibliotheca Alexandrina - Alexandria, Egypt Alwan for the Arts – New York, USA Click to watch video highlights of Beirut Speaks Jazz Realmonte Jazz Festival – Realmonte, Italy Palermo Jazz Festival – Palermo, Italy Ennejma Ezzahra, Palais Baron D’Erlanger – Tunis, Tunisia Festival Lent – Maribor, Slovenia Kongresni Center – Brdo, Slovenia Plai Festival – Timisoara, Romania Stockholm Royal Theater – Stockholm, Sweden

Discography: Tarek Yamani Trio – Ashur - edict records [2012] Kristijan Krajncan Ensemble – Siberian Bear – edict records [2012] Macadi Nahhas “meets” FunJan Shai – Khilkhal [2007] Ziad Ahmadieh “meets” Fun Jan Shai – Beyond Traditions [2006] Aksser – Aksser – EMI Music [2005] Aksser – Khartouch – Chich Prod [2002]
