Tour'n'sol Prod.
SAHRAVANE, our new creation!
The luminous connection between the repertoire of southern Algeria and Afro-Caribbean traditions!
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 continued. The will and desire are strong, and all that was missing was the involvement of two exceptional musicians – Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles and the highly talented Hungarian guitarist Csaba Palotaï – and a few (a little crazy) partners to help bring this dream to fruition. .
And it’s done. After a week of residency, the first two concerts – on November 30th at the Africolor Festival and on December 18th, 2024, at the Grand Hall of the Lyon Opera House – were sublime!s.
This successful and unprecedented encounter, driven by the musicians’ uninhibited inspirations, gave birth to a repertoire that bridges the ever-vibrant flames of tradition, between trance rhythms and songs rising from the dawn of time, spiritual depths and bursts of sensuality at the crossroads of African and Afro-Caribbean traditional music, Jazz, and contemporary music.
An astonishing melodic and spiritual journey awaits you. »
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
Souad Asla - vocals, gumbri, art direction
Omar Sosa - piano, art direction
Csaba Palotaï - guitar
Aziza Tahri - vocals, derbuka, t’bal, bendir, karkabu,
Mebrouka Brik - vocals, bendir, karkabu,
Gustavo Ovalles - percussions,
Rabia Boughazi - percussions, pesle, choirs
Sabrina Cheddad - bendir, derbuka, choirs
« “Five years after their unforgettable performance in the grand hall of the Opera, it is a joy to see them collaborate with the panoramic inspiration of Omar Sosa, on an exploratory terrain that connects the ever-vibrant fire of traditions, between trance rhythms and songs from the dawn of time, Gnawa and Yoruba rites, spiritual depths, and bursts of sensuality.” . » – Richard Robert – Opéra de Lyon
« “Who better than Omar Sosa to reveal the mysteries of the Saoura? The Cuban pianist, a true star of Afro-Cuban music, nominated four times for the Grammy Awards, has explored the African musical heritage of the east (An East African Journey, in 2021) and the west (Ceremony, in 2010), in a series of albums that reconnect the ties between Africa and the Caribbean.” » – L’Humanité
« “Omar Sosa and Lemma, fueled by an immediate artistic connection, have managed to weave a contemporary musical language while respecting the spirit of ancestral traditions. This alchemy gives birth to a captivating performance, where the piano intertwines with polyphonic chants and vibrant percussion.” » – Maghreb Event
« “Africolor celebrates its 36th edition with Sahravane and an unprecedented musical encounter between Algerian singer Souad Alsa and Cuban pianist Omar Sosa.” » – Maghreb-Orient Express (TV5)
