Rabih Abou-Khalil (Arabic:ربيع أبو خليل) (born August 17, 1957 in Lebanon) is an
oud player and composer.
Life
Rabih Abouh-Khalil grew up in Beirut and moved to Munich,
Germany during the civil war in 1978. He lives partly in Munich and partly in the
South of France. Rabih Abou-Khalil has two children, Nayla and Nadim Abou-Khalil.
Music
From early on, he learnt to play the oud, a fretless string instrument, similar to the European
lute. He studied in the Beirut conservatory from oud virtuoso Georges Farah. After moving to
Germany, he studied classical flute at the Academy of Music in Munich under Walther Theurer.
He has often blended traditional Arab music with jazz,
rock and classical music, and has earned praise such as "a world musician years before the
phrase became a label — makes the hot, staccato Middle Eastern flavour and the seamless grooves of jazz mingle as if they were
always meant to." [1] Together with Anouar Brahem he has helped highlight the oud as a vehicle
of eclectic "world jazz". Abou-Khalil's oud playing style has often been likened to jazz guitar: "Abou-Khalil spins more oud
notes in 10 seconds than most jazz guitarists do in their short commercial lifespans." [2]
Abou-Khalil's music uses elements from Arab music traditions, together with many jazz, rock and classical references,
particularly to the school of Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry, which itself broke ground in terms of introducing new global influences. Other influences
include Frank Zappa, Bela Bartok, and such unexpected musicians like the Mighty Sparrow and Lord Kitchener from Trinidad. Jazz
elements are present in most of his recorded work, for instance in the use of the acoustic pizzicato bass, generally played by
recognized jazz musicians like Steve Swallow and Glen
Moore. At the Beijing Jazz Festival of 2003 he performed to great acclaim accompanied by tuba and clarinet as well as the percussion he has always favoured.
Albums
In his first CD release for the ECM company, Nafas, (1988) largely
traditional Arabic elements are to the fore, although a combination of drums of different national origin signals the
eclecticism to come. In Al-Jadida and Blue Camel, (1992) the former with
alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune and the latter with
alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and
flugelhorn player Kenny Wheeler, Turkish influence comes to
the fore, in the form of complex time signatures (like 11/4 for the composition "Sahara"). Classical Turkish metres like 10/8
(phrased as 3+2+2+3), are found widely in Abou-Khalil's opus ("Nightfall" on Between Dusk and Dawn, "Ziriab" on Blue
Camel, "After Dinner" on Tarab, and "On a Bus " on Yara). In recent years mixtures of these metres have
emerged, setting new standards in complexity while retaining freshness, wit and the jazz value of swing.
Nafas and Tarab make use of the ney, the Turkish end-blown flute. 1995's Arabian
Waltz featured Abou-Khalil's compositions for string quartet (performed by the
Balanescu Quartet), along with oud, tuba (or serpent), and frame drums.
Morton's Foot (2004) brings in Luciano Biondini on accordion and Sardinian singer
Gavino Murgia whose base vocals evoke Tibetan throat singing to create a bizarre, exotic blend of
European and Eastern traditions.
Journey to the Centre of an Egg (2005) features a trio of oud, piano (Joachim Kühn, who doubles on alto saxophone) and drums.
Live performances have made heavy use of digital vocalisation devices, and the end of these innovations is not in sight.
Abou-Khalil and his associates are arguably creating a new international platform for improvised music, comparable to
John McLaughlin and his associates in Shakti.
Visions of Music
Rabih Abou-Khalil hosted the television series Visions of Music. This 13-part documentary series produced by EuroArts
Entertainment set out to explore the blending of jazz with traditional music (Caribbean salsa, Brazilian samba, Argentine tango,
French musette, Spanish flamenco, Jewish klezmer, New Orleans R&B and Mississippi blues, as well as West African, South
African, Indian and Middle Eastern music) through historical footage and interviews of musicians (by Abou-Khalil). The music of
the TV-series was released on the album Visions of Music - World Jazz by Enja Records in 1998.
Humor
Humor is a very important ingredient in Abou-Khalil's art and live performances. For instance, the song Dr. Gieler's Wiener
Schnitzel (Morton's Foot, 2004) is inspired by an alleged Austrian dentist who settles in Abu-Dhabi to open a restaurant where his Wiener schnitzel soon
establishes a reputation for healing the blind and deaf. The restaurant, however, is banned and closed by the authorities which
forces Dr. Gieler back to Austria where he is now selling ties to businessmen. Various compositions are inspired by such humorous
stories, common to many is the absurdity of "commuting between cultures".
CD cover design
Rabih Abou-Khalil's CDs are conspicuous for their high quality covers depicting Arabic non-figurative art, some designed by
the author himself.
Major/recent collaborators
Discography
- Compositions & Improvisations (MMP, 1981)
- Bitter Harvest (MMP, 1984)
- Between Dusk And Dawn (MMP, 1987; Enja Records, 1993)
- Bukra (MMP, 1988; Enja Records, 1994)
- Nafas (ECM, 1988)
- Roots & Sprouts (MMP/Enja Records, 1990)
- World Music Orchestra: East West Suite (Granit Records, 1990)
- Al-Jadida (Enja Records, 1990)
- Blue Camel (Enja Records, 1992)
- Tarab (Enja Records, 1992)
- The Sultan's Picnic (Enja Records, 1994)
- Arabian Waltz (Enja Records, 1996)
- Odd Times (Enja Records, 1997)
- Yara (Enja Records, 1998)
- The Cactus of Knowledge (Enja Records, 2001)
- Il Sospiro (Enja Records, 2002)
- Morton's foot (Enja Records, 2004)
- Journey to the Centre of an Egg (Enja Records, 2005)
- Songs for Sad Women (Enja Records, 2006)
As guest musician
- Chris Karrer: Dervish Kish (Schneeball/Indigo, 1990/91)
- Michael Riessler: Heloise (Wergo, 1992)
- Charlie Mariano & Friends: Seventy (veraBra records, 1993)
- Glen Moore: Nude Bass Ascending (Intuition, 1996/97)
- Ramesh Shotam: Madras Special (Permission Music, 2002)
Other
- Jakob Wertheim & Rabih Abou-Khalil: KopfKino (cassette, Ohrbuch-Verlag, 1988)
- The Jazz Club Highlights (DVD, TDK JAZZ CLUB, 1990)
- Rabih Abou-Khalil presents Visions of Music - World Jazz (accompanying TV series, Enja
Records, 1999)
External links
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