At a momentous first meeting at a coffee shop in Fez, Moroccan vocalist Lamiae Naki and multi-instrumentalist Nat Hulskamp composed their first song and decided to get married. Brought together by their deep knowledge of the music of both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar — Spanish flamenco and Moroccan Arabic music — they created Seffarine.
Seffarine takes its name from the ancient metalworking square in Fez, which is famous for the complex rhythms that ring out from the blacksmiths’ hammers, and where Lamiae’s family is well known as masters of the tradition. Seffarine’s music embraces and extends Morocco’s musical collision between Arabic, Iberian and West African cultures, forging vibrant original music deeply rooted in their backgrounds in flamenco guitar, oud and Arab Andalusian music. Nat and Lamiae built an international quintet bringing in all star musicians from Iran, the US and Spain, who infuse the sound with textured instrumentation and inspired improvisation. Sweeping kamancheh (Persian spike-fiddle) ornamentation plays off gritty bass grooves and explosive flamenco footwork, with Lamiae’s fluidly riveting voice at the center, sending up sheets of cascading Andalusi melodies punctuated by the catchy hooks of North African Chaabi, sung in her native Moroccan Arabic. Their sound has taken them around the world, from touring Australia and Europe to receiving grants to study Ottoman singing in Turkey, to the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo, to recording with top flamenco musicians in Spain such as Diego del Morao and Latin Grammy winner Antonio Rey.
Lamiae Naki- voice, bendir
Nat Hulskamp- flamenco guitar, oud
Bobak Salehi- kamancheh, sehtar, gheychak, violin
Yosmel Montejo- bass
Manuel Gutierrez- flamenco dance, cajón
You may also like the following events from The Alberta Rose Theatre:
- This Friday, 13th February, 07:30 pm, Valentine - A Night of Circus, Music and Love in Portland
- This month, 27th February, 08:00 pm, Izohnny Presents BOYeurism in Portland
- This month, 28th February, 07:30 pm, Prince Again – A Tribute to Prince in Portland
Also check out other
Music events in Portland,
Entertainment events in Portland,
Festivals in Portland.
