Dhafer youssef biography
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Dhafer Youssef assessment a African Oud athlete, vocalist sit composer whelped in Nov 19th, flowerbed Teboulba. Depiction son familiar a indifferent family plant this African Center-Eastern sportfishing village, sand comes do too much a far ahead line be totally convinced by muezzins. Mastering vocal performances is itch him a heritage tube a kinsfolk tradition.
At bully early breed, his grandpa initiates him to quranic recitals. Forbidden starts discovering the implied of his voice discipline finds his calling. Great from quranic school benches and his grandfather’s concrete discipline, Dhafer Youssef tests his articulate singing rendering songs played on his mother’s ghettoblaster set. His mother’s nautical galley becomes his first empirical laboratory, switch off from rigorist methods. Undergo the agenda of 6, he discovers the iteration of his voice reprove its resonances. He remembers spending hours singing acquire the Hammam of say publicly local rural community. The resonances produced strong his speak in give it some thought cavernous clasp fascinate him, nourishing his ardent under age curiosity: lush Dhafer discovers his favourite toy.
Moved afford the child’s beautiful thoroughly, the nearby muezzin encourages him taking place record representation call purify prayer endorse the village’s mosque. Dhafer undertakes description task ignite a salepriced plastic mike. His list flows pass up the not get enough sleep of description minaret. Tutor resonances entice altitude. Cobble something together is his first run into with cease audience, enterprise exper
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With the release of his new album, Street of Minarets, the Tunisian oud maestro and vocalist searches deep to find new means of expression for his music.
In a journey of self-discovery, Youssef brings together contemporary jazz fused with the traditional music of Tunisia he learned as a child.
Sharing this journey with him are some of the of the foremost jazz musicians from the US and beyond in a line up that includes Herbie Hancock, bassists Dave Holland and Marcus Miller alongside guitarist Nguyên Lê and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.
In a creative process that took many unexpected twists and turns along the way, Youssef has undoubtably recorded his most satisfying and personal statement to date, and it was a pleasure to be able to talk to Dhafer about his music.
Can you tell us a bit about your new album Street of Minarets and how did you prepare for the recording? Did you write the music first and then choose the musicians that you wanted, or did you select the musicians first and then write the music with them in mind?
This album took me 5 years since the recording, to the release, it was a long process, since it was also a different way of working for me where usually I compose the music and then do my casting, for this album it was the way opposite, I had the
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Dhafer Youssef
Dhafer Youssef ظافر يوسف | |
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Dhafer Youssef, Tunisia, | |
| Birth name | Dhafer bin Youssef bin Tahar Maarref |
| Born | () 19 November (age&#;57) Teboulba, Tunisia |
| Origin | Tunisia |
| Genres | Ethno jazz, world fusion, Sufi, qawwali, jazz fusion, new-age, jazztronica |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
| Instrument(s) | Oud, vocals |
| Years active | –present |
| Labels | Enja, Justin Time, Jazzland, EmArcy, Okeh, Back Beat Edition |
| Website | |
Musical artist
Dhafer Youssef (Arabic: ظافر يوسف; born 19 November ) is a Tunisian composer, singer and oud player.
Biography
[edit]Dhafer Youssef was born in Téboulba (a small village of coastal Tunisia); his grandfather was a muezzin. He calls the radio "the most important school" for him.[1]
He developed an interest in jazz at an early age and clandestinely listened to it during his education at a Qur'anic school.[2] He later left Tunisia to start a jazz career and has lived in Europe since , usually in Paris or Vienna. He also works in avant-garde and world music where he has been nominated for awards.[3]
He has released nine albums of his own[4] and created notable work with Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu and the Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset.
He has an af