In the Andaluz Project, the three cultures that defined the Middle Ages - Muslim, Jewish and Christian - come together. The cultural tension between these three religions has lost none of its explosiveness and fascination to this day.
The Al Andaluz Project is an extraordinary project that uses musical brilliance at the highest technical level to realise the vision of the peaceful coexistence of the three dominant cultures of our time.
The Al Andaluz Project came about when the Munich group Estampie met the Spanish and Moroccan musicians from Aman Aman and L'Ham de Foc, who gave a concert in Munich in November 2005. Just one year after this encounter, the cross-border formation presented its contemporary, lively interpretations of traditional Jewish-Sephardic, Arabic and Christian music at the Landshut Court Music Days.
Michael Popp, Ud, Saz, Tar, Dilruba, fiddle & Santur
Iman Kandoussi, vocals & percussion
Aziz Samsaoui, Qanun, Ud & percussion
Sigrid Hausen, vocals & flutes
Free, general admission
Repertoire
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras: Altas undas
Lisan Din Ibn Al-khatib: Lamabada
Los caminos (trad.)
Inna / En un vergier (anon.)
Chamsse Lachia Nuba Kodam Raml Al-Maya (anon.)
Voi ch’amate (anon.)
Morena (trad.)
Cantigas de Santa Maria: Madre de Deus
Artists
Michael Popp is a versatile multi-instrumentalist and ensemble leader who has recorded over 30 CDs with his projects and given concerts throughout Europe, the USA, Canada and North Africa.
In addition, he has worked as a composer and performer in numerous film, theatre, dance and performance productions.
He is considered a leading specialist in early music and world music, but has also enjoyed many years of success in the gothic and dark wave genres.
Iman Kandoussi, born in Tetuan, comes from a family that has long been associated with traditional Moroccan music. At the age of 10, she began her studies of Andalusian singing and Ud at the Tetuan Conservatory. She can be heard as a soloist at important festivals of Andalusian music and won the most important singing competition for Andalusian music, "Nujum wa nujum" (Star of Stars).
Aziz Samsaoui, born in Marrakech, received his musical training at the Conservatory of Andalusian Music in Tetuan, where he studied ud and violin. He currently performs with various ensembles alongside his career as a solo artist. He masters a wide range of styles from medieval to flamenco.
Sigrid Hausen studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, under Nikolaus Harnoncourt, among others, and attended masterclasses in singing and historical performance practice. In 1985, she was a founding member of the renowned medieval ensemble ESTAMPIE, with which she has since performed as a vocal soloist at home and abroad and recorded numerous successful CDs. She sings in many ancient languages such as Old French, Old Provençal and Middle High German. With VOCAME she devotes herself to the very early female vocal music of the Middle Ages, and with the AL ANDALUZ project to intercultural world music. Sigrid Hausen has performed with her ensembles at festivals in Europe, the USA and Canada.
Sponsored By
MUSE
Co-sponsored by Rice University's Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program and Archaeology Now
