Abdullah Miniawy (EG)

ABDULLAH MINIAWY
Der skete noget helt særligt, da den egyptiske komponist, sanger og poet Abdullah Miniawy satte munden til mikrofonen på Musée Dauphinois under festivalen Detours De Babel i Grenoble. Måske det var hans sangstemme, som i Passive/Aggressive er blevet karakteriseret som både hjemsøgende og katarsisk. Eller måske det var hans sangtekster, som han primært synger på arabisk, og som kredser om temaer såsom frihed, retfærdighed og spiritualitet. Men et dybt bevæget publikum gav i hvert fald Abdullah Miniawy og hans trio stående ovationer. Siden dén koncert, som var trioens premiere, har Abdullah Miniawy og trombonisterne Robinson Khoury og Jules Boittin optrådt på prominente scener og festivaler, på alt fra La Alhambra i Genève til Venedigbiennalen. Og kommer trioen med sin eksperimenterende, gåsehudsfremkaldende og teatralske lyd til ALICE.

“Listening to Miniawy sing is like hearing someone let you in on their most intimate secret without any reservations or like a siren calling for your utmost attention, an almost hypnotising experience”, skriver Passive/Aggressive videre om Abdullah Miniawy, som i dag bor i Paris og er en anerkendt figur på den internationale, eksperimenterende musikscene. Hans album “Le Cri Du Caire” blev i 2023 hædret som “Album de musiques du monde” (Årets verdensmusikalbum) ved French Victoires du Jazz, den franske pendant til en Grammy. Trioen fusionerer barok og opera med ritualer og mystik. Når de gæster ALICE inviterer de os med ud på en transcenderende færd: Fra den støjende lyd af Egyptens storby til en intens og bevægende oplevelse at være fælles om.
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In English:
ABDULLAH MINIAWY
A voice to seek refuge in: Prepare for an extraordinary experience when the singing, chanting, and reciting tenor Abdullah Miniawy visits ALICE with his trio. Supported by the two trombonists by his side, the Egyptian singer, composer, and poet will build bridges—not only between musical traditions but also between the profanities of urban life and Sufi spirituality.

Something truly special happened when the Egyptian composer, singer, and poet Abdullah Miniawy stepped up to the microphone at Musée Dauphinois during the Detours De Babel festival in Grenoble. Perhaps it was his singing voice, which the publication Passive/Aggressive described as both haunting and cathartic. Or maybe it was his lyrics—primarily sung in Arabic—that delve into themes of freedom, justice, and spirituality. Whatever it may have been, the deeply moved audience gave Abdullah Miniawy and his trio a standing ovation. Since that concert, which marked the trio’s debut, Abdullah Miniawy and trombonists Robinson Khoury and Jules Boittin have performed on prominent stages and at major festivals, from La Alhambra in Geneva to the Venice Biennale. Now, the trio brings its experimental, goosebump-inducing, and theatrical sound to ALICE.

“Listening to Miniawy sing is like hearing someone share their most intimate secret without hesitation, or like a siren calling for your undivided attention—an almost hypnotizing experience,” Passive/Aggressive writes about Abdullah Miniawy. Today, Miniawy lives in Paris and is an acknowledged figure on the international experimental music scene. His album Le Cri Du Caire was honored in 2023 as “Album de musiques du monde” (World Music Album of the Year) at the French Victoires du Jazz awards, France’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards. The trio fuses baroque and opera with ritualistic and mystical elements. When they perform at ALICE, they invite us on a transcendent journey: from the noisy streets of Egypt to an intense and deeply moving shared experience. We can’t wait to become a part of it.