BROOKLYN MAQAM presents: ALI OMAR EL-FAROUK'S MAQAMAT TRIO

Following his return from Montreal to Cairo in 2019, Ali Omar El-Farouk had sought to create a context and collaboration in which he can continue playing Arabic Maqam Music repertoire in Cairo. With a preference for the trio formation which he had formed many different versions of throughout his career, he formed Maqamat Trio in 2011 with Ayman Asfour on violin and Hany Bedair on riq. The trio performed in Cairo continuously since its inception, with its latest performances taking place earlier this year.

It is worth noting that these three artists have either known each other or known about one another for years, having so much in common, and having still much more to share with one another. They are very excited to be performing together as a trio for the very first time, especially in front of Brooklyn Maqam’s very appreciative audience who know and love Tarab and Arabic Maqam music so much.

Featuring:
Ali Omar El-Farouk: Oud
Ayman Asfour: Violin
Johnny Farraj: Riq

ALI OMAR EL-FAROUK
www.aliomarelfarouk.com
Ali Omar El-Farouk is an Egyptian/Canadian guitarist and oud player based out of Montreal and Cairo. He is an active performer, teacher and composer with a professional career spanning more than two decades which includes performances in Egypt, Canada, U.S.A., Turkey, Spain, and cruise ships touring the Bahamas and the British Isles. His versatile musical vocabulary is a result of his privileged exposure to both eastern and western cultures. He spent years studying jazz music, classical Arabic music, western classical music, and flamenco music.

He has worked in jazz groups, rock/blues/pop bands, all the way to Middle Eastern and flamenco ensembles. His performances include the Festival Du Monde Arabe, Festival Nuits D’Afrique, Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques Festival, and Festival Sefarad in Montreal as well as the Cairo Jazz Festival and the Jazz Mania Festival in Cairo. His first album ‘Ela Mataa?’ was recorded in Montreal and released in January 2019. He holds a Licentiate degree in Jazz Performance from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, one of Canada’s top music institutes, and a Bachelor’s degree with Distinction in Jazz Studies from Concordia University in Montreal. He is as passionate about performing live as he as about teaching music and he teaches music at his own studio and online.

AYMAN ASFOUR
https://soundcloud.com/ayman-asfour
Ayman Asfour (b. 1979) is a violin player, composer, and improviser from Alexandria, Egypt. Asfour first picked up a violin at the age of 19 and only four years later, he became the youngest violin teacher at Alexandria University. Since then, Asfour has continued to develop his musical repertoire, mastering many different styles of music such as oriental Arabic, Egyptian folk, and Western classical through self-education. Throughout Asfour’s career, he has worked with many musicians in Egypt, and in the Middle East and Europe. He has also worked as a composer and producer for many projects in Egypt, including in theater and contemporary dance.

JOHNNY FARRAJ
http://maqamworld.com
Johnny Farraj is a Lebanese musician and software engineer of Palestinian descent. His main instrument is the riqq; he also plays the oud and sings. Johnny is the creator of MaqamWorld.com, the leading Internet reference on Arabic music theory, and the co-author of the highly popular comprehensive book Inside Arabic Music (2019 - Oxford University Press). Johnny is a regular performer in New York's rich Arabic music scene and beyond, as well as a frequent blogger, teacher, and archivist.