Egyptian virtuoso **Mohamed Abozekry**’s unbridled imagination interprets the boundless world around him. Abozekry is an *oud* (lute) master, composer and musical polymath whose music resonates in time and of place, as he excavates and renews Egyptian classicism. His sextet, featuring musicians working across two continents, pushes the boundaries of what it means to be contemporary. *Roh El Fouad* (The Heart’s Soul), Abozekry’s latest album forms the latest chapter in Abozekry’s improvisational exploration of Egyptian music without a predetermined template.
Born in Cairo in 1991, Abozekry graduated at 15 from the Arabic Oud house in Cairo. He was the youngest oud teacher in the Arab world, and in 2009 was awarded first prize at the International Oud Competition in Syria. Later that year, began studying classical music composition. At the age of 18, he began splitting his time in France. The push-pull between his second home in France, and his native Egypt opened a door of inspiration for his work. The many artists he met traveling this path resulted in collaborations with jazz bands, Romani artists, classic orchestras, and electronic musicians. In 2017, following his interest in composing music for cinema, Mohamed Abozekry earned a Master’s in Music Film-Scoring (MAAAV) at Lyon II University, and began scoring films and TV shows. “I never move backwards, but in a circular motion and return to the place I started with more experience.”
“brilliant, inventive virtuosity that goes far beyond technical mastery…” Le Monde France
The musical interests of Abozekry’s musical partners on this U.S. tour are equally wide ranging: Camille Maussion (Paris/saxophone) @camille.maussion, George Nabil (Paris/keyboards) @george.nabilmusic, André Segone (Paris/bass) @andre_segone, Wadie Naim (Cairo/percussion) @wadie_naim, Ele Salif Howell (Brooklyn/drums) @elehowell, Nazli Reda (Cairo/sound engineer) @nazlis.noise; Mohamed Abozekry, Oud & Vocals & Compositions
Mohamed Abozekry Sextet is on tour in the U.S. as part of Center Stage, the cultural diplomacy program that hosted Abozekry’s Karkadé project in 2018. Their month-long tour includes stops in Tucson AZ, State College PA, Baltimore MD, Lexington KY, Wilmington NC, Chicago IL, Claremont NH, Saugerties NY, and New York City. www.centerstageUS.org