French-Lebanese trumpet-player Ibrahim Maalouf balances on the border of various genres, ranging from jazz, rock, classical and pop through to world-music. Moving many a heart while doing so. UNESCO recently honoured him as a ‘Young Artist for Intercultural Dialogue between Arab and Western Worlds’. In ’13 he was hailed ‘Artist of the Year’ by the influential French equivalent of the Grammys (read: the Victoires du Jazz) and in ’14 he sold out the prestigious Henry Le Boeuf hall (Bozar) in no time at all.

In autumn ’15 he will be releasing no less than two albums on the famous Impulse label, both inspired by the most famous and still much loved Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, who left us 40 years ago. The first album - ‘Kalthoum’ – sounds mainly acoustic, while ‘Red and Black Light’ heads in the direction of electro/pop/world-music.

Ibrahim Maalouf: ‘This new project is very exciting for me. I'll be playing with 3 extraordinary Belgium musicians. The incredible drummer of the jazz band Aka moon (Stephane Galland), the multi awarded Eric Legnini on keyboards, and the guitar player who plays with me since many years François Delporte. All three will be helping me putting together my compositions inspired by the Egyptian famous Diva: Oum Kalthoum. The musical mood is a mix between the strong Arab influence of her voice, the strenght of the electronic technology we are lucky to use in the 21st century, and the freedom that jazz offers. All these energies gathered into one set, peaceful but yet full of power and trance.’