programme
adaptations of musical classics such as
who have accompanied Ahmed El Maai throughout his career in cities such as Tangier, Brussels and Amsterdam
performers
Cappella Amsterdam
Ahmed El Maai ud, lead
Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra
Matangi Quartet
explanation
Cappella Amsterdam is delighted to collaborate with the versatile artist Ahmed El Maai for an unforgettable musical journey to the roots of the oud. From the flourishing culture of Moorish Granada to the mystical sounds of the Levant, Ahmed El Maai pays tribute to the classics that have shaped his musical and personal development. With a unique focus on the oud as a connecting instrument, he offers a fresh interpretation of traditional works.
Ahmed El Maai, master of the oud, qanun, viola, and vocals, has gathered musicians from the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra, Cappella Amsterdam, and the Matangi Quartet for this occasion. Together, we create a rich soundscape, from the folk music of the Maghreb to the spiritual depth of Oum Kalthoum, El Maai’s greatest source of inspiration.
The programme includes arrangements of musical classics that Ahmed has been accompanied by throughout his career in cities such as Tangier, Brussels, and Amsterdam. For El Maai, music should “sound warm and stay close to its source,” and his album El Maai is an intimate musical portrait of this.