FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PLEASE UPDATE LISTINGS
TRIO JOUBRAN; LIMITLESS LOVE FOR THE OUD
- SATURDAY, MARCH 1ST, ENWAVE THEATRE, 231 QUEENS QUAY WEST, AT 8:00 PM
“Contemporary oud playing at its finest - inventive, quixotic and arresting” ~ Songlines
“ … they volleyed quick lines with the concentration of heavy-metal guitarists shredding away.” ~ Jon Pareles, New York Times
TORONTO – Thursday, February 7th, 2008 – Small World Music presents Trio Joubran, one of the world’s most captivating Arabic music experiences to come to Toronto, on Saturday, March 1st, at the Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay W. Show at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $25 in advance by calling (416) 973-4000. For more information please visit www.smallworldmusic.com.
With breathtaking skill and heart-wrenching interpretations, these Palestinian brothers convey harmony, depth and joy beyond the spoken word. Onstage, as their instruments join in the transcendence of improvisation, the trio expresses its full mastery of the oud. On this tour, joined by percussionist Yousef Hbeisch, the group’s stunning stage performances are both precise and overflowing with emotion.
The history of the Joubran Trio goes back over a decade. Samir Joubran, the eldest brother, started his solo career with his first two albums, Taqaseem (1996) and Sou’fahm (2001). For his third album, Tamaas, Samir invited his younger brother Wissam to join him on his musical adventure. Three songs from this album were used in the movie Inguélézi, by the director François Dupeyron. When Adnan, the youngest, joined in with his older brothers, they formed the first and only oud trio in the world. The trio was introduced to the public at large on a summer afternoon in 2004, at the Luxembourg Garden in Paris. In March 2005, the three brothers came out with Randana, their first album together, on the Randana-Fairplay/Harmonia Mundi label. It is the first Palestinian label to be distributed in France.
The brothers are the worthy inheritors of a rich family tradition. The trio’s parents, Hatem Mbadda Joubran, a stringed-instrument maker emeritus known throughout the Arab world, and Ibtisam Hanna Joubran, a singer, both come from families where music is transmitted from generation to generation. Whether it was the next logical step, or the magic of destiny, Samir pulled Wissam and then Adnan along in his footsteps. The Joubran Trio’s magic stems from the mutual understanding of three brothers who share a common and limitless love for the oud, a Middle Eastern type of lute, also known as ud.
Since they were selected at Womex 2004 and Strictly Mundial 2005, the trio has been living a musical dream that is taking it all over the world. The group was the big revelation at Langon’s Atypical Nights (Nuits Atypiques) festival and nominated for the 2004 Django d’Or awards. Other highlights include playing before thousands at the Festival of Nyon, at Carnegie Hall in February 2006, and more recently at the Jerusalem Festival (August 2007). Joubran accepted conductor Daniel Barenboim’s invitation to take part in a concert in Spain. Then the trio joined forces with Massive Attack at the Brixton Carling Academy in a concert to support the Hoping Foundation. Choreographers Héla Fattoumi and Eric Mamoureux also asked the duo of Samir and Adnan to write the musical score for La Mad’aa.
WHO: Trio Joubran
WHAT: Small World Music Presentation
WHERE: The Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West
WHEN: Saturday, March 1st, show at 8:00pm.
TICKETS: $25 in advance by calling 416 973-4000. For more information please visit www.smallworldmusic.com.
WEBSITES: www.letriojoubran.com/en
YouTube video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=043Q4DQ0in0&feature=related
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For more information, photos, interviews, please contact:
Beverly Kreller
SPEAK Music
www.speak-music.com
bev@speak-music.com
416.922.3620
