Nawaris is the group based around the Iraqi oud-player Hussein Rassim. Following his appearance on the Refugees for Refugees CD ‘Amerli’, Rassim returns to present ‘Migration’ the first CD by his own group Nawaris. The group play a mixture of traditional Iraqi music and original compositions by the band members. Interplay between the oud and the Eastern lute (Hussein Rassim), soprano sax and flutes (Manu Hermia), cello (Juliette Lacroix) and percussion (Robbe Kieckens and Stephan Pougin) give rise to often surprising dialogues while allowing sufficient space for improvisation.

We open the evening with a concert by the World Music Chain, the musical relay concerts which began in November 2017 with a concert featuring Vardan Hovanissian (Armenia) and Asad Qizilbash (Pakistan). During this third concert of the series the Mauritanian singer, guitarist and hoddu-player Gueladio Ba will appear for the first time on stage with violinist Ananta Roosens. Gueladio Ba was encouraged to take up music as a 12-year old by Ali Farka Touré. Ananta Roosens is well known to many as the driving force behind the innovative tango project La Sieste du Dromadaire but also through her previous work with Mogil and Gotan Project. She is also a member of Aranis.

• Hussein Rassim : oud
• Juliette Lacroix : cello
• Manu Hermia : flutes, bansuri
• Stephane Pougin : percussion
• Robbe Kieckens : percussion