OMAR SOSA & SOUAD ASLA - LEMMA

SAHRAVANE, our new creation!

The luminous connection between the repertoire of southern Algeria and Afro-Caribbean traditions!

An unprecedented encounter between the remarkable Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and Algerian musicians from Lemma, initiated by Souad Asla. Creation 2024-25

The idea for this meeting was born in Souad Asla’s mind in 2009 during the Pan-African Festival in Algiers, where she happened to meet Omar Sosa in a hotel lobby. They discussed the songs and rituals of her native region: La Saoura. He invited her to perform with him on stage—a magical moment where Souad felt in harmony with Omar from the first notes of the piano. Afterwards, they continued to discuss Béchar and the songs and rhythms that define the identity of southern Algeria, as well as Souad Asla’s desire to create an unprecedented group of female musicians carrying these endangered traditions.

Many years later, they met again in Le Havre, Normandy. Souad spoke to him about her group Lemma, the possibility of finally realizing a joint project, and her belief that the sound and complexity of the rhythms and songs from her region would inevitably resonate with him. He, with his talent for giving new and unexpected life to traditional melodies while respecting their depth and structure. Their conversation has continued since then. The will and desire are strong, and only partners were needed to support the birth of this creation.

This encounter between Souad Asla, the musicians from Saoura, and Omar Sosa will bring together two worlds that, despite their differences, share a common pulse: Africa. An astonishing melodic and spiritual journey awaits us.

The artist’s intention

« My musical trajectory traces the Diaspora from Cuba to Africa; from Central America to Ecuador’s African-descent communities; from San Francisco and New York to Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa. True to my Afro-Cuban origins, I fashion a spirited vision of uncompromising artistic generosity that embraces humanity at large.I try to entwine the cultural traditions of Africa and the Americas in a unique cosmopolitan voice, articulating a thoroughly contemporary global jazz idiom that assumes new form via a joyous, open-hearted, collaborative approach to musical creativity. Whether as a soloist, ensemble player, or bandleader, I try to create a music that is simultaneously my own and the world’s—reflecting an immersion in the batá drumming of Santería, the lyricism of the Cuban danzón, the Arabic lute or oud, North African percussion, and world jazz. I am attentive to the melding of sounds from around the world. In collaborating with Souad Asla and her band of women singers and instrumentalists, Lemma, I will seek to explore the connections between my Afro-Cuban roots and the folkloric traditions of this part of Algeria. My intention is to express these connections using contemporary musical language, while remaining faithful to the spirit of these ancient traditions. It will be a honor for me to work with Lemma and to support their re-imagining of Algerian music and their place in the cultural scene. » – Omar Sosa

« I wish to introduce Omar to rhythms specific to the southern region of Algeria, such as the Zafani, Filali, Haydousse, and Hadra. My wish is that Omar will immerse himself in our music and take it into new realms, inviting us to rediscover ourselves through the Cuban sounds and rhythms that define his musical identity. We aim to explore and blend the trance rhythms of our two continents. This residency will be a time for ideas to blossom as we build a borderless performance. Once again, we will have the opportunity to showcase the power of traditional music and its unique ability to bring people together. » – Souad Asla

A production Tour’n’sol prod. Co-production Festival Africolor, in partnership with Ateliers Medicis