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BIOGRAPHY

TARABBAND - Arabic Music From Sweden

Nominated and awarded as 2014's "Tradition bearer" and "Best crossover" at the Swedish World Music Awards.

Formed in Malmö 2008, Tarabband hosts some of Sweden's most skilled folk & world musicians. The group is lead by the charismatic Iraqi Egyptian singer Nadin, who fled war in Iraq to Sweden in 2001. Tarabband's music and lyrics narrates her journey of survival, exile, life and rebirth.

Their debut album ”Ya Sidi” was released in 2013 and contains 10 original compositions.The music travels from Baghdad via Cairo, Paris to Malmo, mixing Sufism, Folk, Flamenco, Jazz and settles in Tarab, the common denominator.

Tarabband combines groove and sweetness with a charismatic voice to transgress borders that are drawn between countries and humans. "Tarab" itself is an Arabic term for the ecstasy that can appear when music and emotions merge and become one.

MEMBERS

Nadin Al khalidi - lead vocals, saz, lyrics

Gabriel Hermansson - mandole, guitar, oud, vocals

Dan Svensson – percussion, ney, vocals

Romain Coutama - bass, vocals

Filip Runesson - violin

Ferhat Deniz Fors – percussion, ney, vocals

IN CONCERT

“It was a pleasure to work with Tarabband, who not only make great music, but are alsoconsummate professionals! They gave a well-received, spirited performance on stage, and spent a lot of time engaging with the people of Stone Town, off stage. They also went enthusiastically into the festival’s collaborative project called ‘Swahili Encounters’, a concept meant to put several visiting musicians, local musicians and students of the Dhow Countries Music Academy together. Tarabband participated in 3 days of workshops together with members of Tausi Women’s Taarab band and some of the top students of the DCMA, who then delivered a powerful set on stage.We wish Tarabband a great, glorious future and hope that their music goes from strength to strength.”

~ Rhoda Isaacs, Festival Manager, Sauti za Busara 2014 – Zanzibar Tanzania

”The historic venue was packed to the brim as the unmistakable Nadin Al Khaldi – Tarabband’smagnetic frontwoman – took to the stage to introduce the band to the music thirsty crowd. appropriate whoops and whistles, she took no time at all to get into the groove, belting out uniquepop-meets-tarab-meets-baladi ballads. With an assortment of Oriental instruments in tow, five-piece band showed the Arabs how it’s done, having mastered the Riq and Tabla,rarely let go of her Oud, contrasting with the strings of a classic Spanish guitar and violin. Khaldi’svelvety vocals carried through the venue to the extent that she almost didn’t need a mic.”

~ Cairoscene Magazine, Review of Tarabband's concert at El Fusion Festival – Cairo, Egypt

ALBUM REVIEWS

Gothenburg Post , Sweden

“A musical mixture of the highest class”

Mollevangen / The Mill Square in Malmo is perhaps Sweden's best known multicultural quarters. For the Iraqi born singer Nadin Al Khalidi and her motley band to be settled by that square feels so much right. Together they create a suggestive musical mixture of Arabic music in the first place but rich in elements of Swedish folk, pop, flamenco, Gnawa and a lot more.The duplicitous texts (which are translated to English) are sometimes about love and about her strong memories of her homeland she had to flee , Iraq. A musical mixture of the highest class, where talented musicians with diverse backgrounds are united in an equally passionately as sharp way.

~ Patrik Lindgren

Folk World Magazine, Germany

“The desert is alive and not only among the heat of the southern sun, but also in cold Sweden ”

Based in Sweden, six-member ensemble Tarabband unites musicians from Sweden, Franceand Iraq, who are dedicated to the musical cultures of North Africa and the Middle East. Thanks to the art of singing from the female lead Nadin Al Khalidi, you have to read to come out that the songs actually have emerged in the cool Malmo. But that is indeed the sun-drenched south of Sweden. So all a matter of perspective. 'YA SIDI', the debut of Tarabband will suit any listener in the North, South, East or West. Conclusion: Recommended!

~ Holger Brandstaedt

Hallands nyheter, Sweden

“Contrasts and contagious passion”

Malmo-based Tarabband moves in a borderland between north and south, between the Arabian heat and Nordic coolness. The group is lead by the singer Nadin Al Khalidi, originally from Iraq, who also writes the lyrics while the music is composed by the other band members. The debut "Ya Sidi" shows how well the group combines their sound. The album contains ten original songs, where the music carries quite clear scents of Egypt and Iraq, which is reinforced by the Arabic singing. Some of songs pull further down in Africa, as evocative "Yasmin". At the same time it meets the Nordic sound, peaceful, stretched. This record is an exciting crossroad. Less successful is the Pop touch that appears on some of the tracks.The project's strength is in the song. There there is contagious passion!

~ Gert-Ove Fridlund

BOOKING

Hilda Sandgren

MTA Production AB Saltmätargatan 7, 2tr 113 59 Stockholm Sweden

OFFICE: +46 8-660 86 09 FAX: +46 (0)8 - 615 67 87 CELL/VIBER: +46 70-440 85 00

hilda@mtaprod.se www.mtaprod.se www.facebook.com/mtaprod

The debut album of TARABBAND: ”Ya Sidi” (KAPCD003)