Dhafer Youssef “Shiraz”

Dhafer Youssef, the Tunisian master of the oud and singer, is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive musical voices of our time; his art transcends borders, languages and genres. He has always had a very clear vision of what his music should sound like: rooted in the traditions of Arabic music and Sufism, whilst remaining open to contemporary sounds from a wide variety of genres: jazz, chamber music, rock or even electronic music.

‘Shiraz’ is an intimate album; the story it tells is undoubtedly the most personal of his entire career. It is a love ode to his wife, the Tunisian filmmaker and director Shiraz Fradi, which evokes their relationship and the turbulent, sometimes bittersweet, journey of their life together. The album was recorded with pianist Daniel García, trumpeter Mario Rom, bassist Swaéli Mbappé, drummer Tao Ehrlich and guest guitarist Nguyên Lê.