Palestinian musician Tamer Abu Ghazaleh (Photo: Fragment from promotional material)
A listening party for Palestinian musician Tamer Abu Ghazaleh's new album "Thulth" (Third) is set to take place at Cairo's ROOM Art Space on Tuesday 17 May.
This will be a chance for the Cairene audience to hear the album ahead of its official Arab world release scheduled for 29 May.
Thulth is produced by Mostakell, a music label for indie Arabic music operating under Eka3 platform, founded by Abu Ghazaleh himself.
Speaking to Ahram Online in November 2015 on the occasion of the album launch of Halawella -- a collaboration between Egyptian singer Maryam Saleh and Lebanese composer Zeid Hamdan, and produced by Mostakell -- Abu Ghazaleh explained that Eka3 “has become an incubator and accelerator for business models that helps to fill the gaps in the Arabic music market."
Besides Mostakell, Eka3's portfolio also includes “Almoharek (Live booking agency of indie Arabic music), Awyav (Arabic Music Content Agency), and Ma3azef.com (Music Magazine.)
Thulth is Abu Ghazeleh’s third album after Mir’ah (Mirror) released in 2008 and his debut release Janayen El Ghona in 2001.
According to the event description on Facebook, Thulth “melds virtuosity with fierce experimentation in composition, songwriting and performance.”
The nine-track album “takes the listener on a journey that shifts in moods, from frenzied to melodic and upbeat to subdued.”
It comprises reinterpretations of two songs from Abu Ghazaleh’s second album Mir’ah as well as songs he created and presented in shows throughout the past four years.
Alongside Abu Ghazaleh (oud and vocals), the album features Khyam Allami on drums, Shadi El-Hosseiny on piano, and Mahmoud Waly on bass.
Thulth “takes the live show instrumentation to more lush and complex grounds” with the accompaniment of percussions, melodica, Rhodes, buzuq, harmonium, synth keys, backing vocals and electronics.
Abu Ghazaleh is scheduled to hold two other Cairo concerts: on 29 May at Falaki Theatre, and on 31 Mayat Cairo Jazz Club.
The Cairo concerts come as part of a series of listening parties and concerts to celebrate the album launch across the Arab world, with concerts also scheduled in Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Tunisia.
Programme:
Tuesday 17 May, 7pm
ROOM Art Space, 10 Etehaad El-Mohamin Street, Garden City, Cairo
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