Doha: French retail store FNAC at Lagoona Mall is one of the sponsors of Katara European Jazz Festival to be held from Wednesday until November 1 at Katara Cultural Village.
Launched last year, the festival is organised jointly by the embassies of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, in partnership with Katara and supported by Qatar Airways, Qatar Music Academy (QMA) and FNAC.
FNAC is also sponsoring the French night concert on Thursday, represented by musician Ibrahim Maalouf (pictured), with the support of the French embassy. The retail store will also host the jazz player in the mall on Thursday from 4pm until 6pm for a meet-and-greet with fans and an album-signing event of his latest compilation, Red & Black Light.
French Ambassador Eric Chevallier said: “We are pleased to bring Maalouf to Qatar to be part of the festival. He is a well-recognised musician whose music is appreciated across the world. The embassy is pleased to contribute to the festival and present to the Qatar audience one of its greatest musicians.”
Maalouf said: “It is an honour to present my music in Qatar at this fascinating venue. I hope my music will inspire the audience and I wish them a great night.
“The new project is exciting for me as I will introduce my new album Red & Black Light for the first time worldwide.
“The concert will be in collaboration with three extraordinary Belgian musicians who will help me put together my compositions inspired by renowned Egyptian diva Oum Kalthoum.
“The musical mood is a mix of the inspiring Arab influence of her voice, the strength of the electronic technology we are lucky to use now and the freedom jazz offers.
“All these energies gathered into one set, peaceful but yet full of power and trance,” he added.
Red & Black Light comprises Maalouf’s compositions and a song by Beyoncé. It is transparent, a record for people to dance to or sing, but which has many unsuspected themes, harmonies and rhythms superimposed over each other.
Its true essence can be revealed through a mathematical reading of the album. Recorded in France in Ivry-sur-Seine with Eric Legnini (keyboards), François Delporte (guitar) and Stephane Galland (drums), the album is a desire to represent the importance and necessarily complex nature of things and people that are essential.
The festival brings some of the finest proponents of European Jazz music, a highly regarded art form captivating global audiences since the early 20th century.
Each embassy will host one jazz group representing its country. The festival features Jazz musicians and workshops at QMA for local music students.
There will be five evenings: Falb Fiction from Austria (Wednesday, 7pm), Matthias Schriefl and Shreefpunk Reloaded from Germany (Wednesday, 9 pm), Red & Black Light — Maalouf (Thursday, 8pm), Francesco Bearzatti Tinissima 4et from Italy (Friday, 8pm), The Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble from Switzerland (Saturday, 7pm), Biel Ballester Trio from Spain (Saturday, 9pm) and Michiel Borstlap from The Netherlands (November 1, 8pm).
The Peninsula
