Anouar Brahem is a Tunisian oud player and composer, born on October 20, 1957 in Halfaouine, in the medina of Tunis. At the age of ten, he began learning the oud at the Conservatoire National de Tunis under the tutelage of master Ali Sriti. After making a name for himself with his compositions for ballet (Maurice Béjart) and film, he became a musician renowned for his virtuosity and innovative approach, fusing Arab musical traditions with elements of jazz and classical music, creating a unique style that transcends genres. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians and released several albums on the ECM Records label. His association with Jan Garbarek and Shaukat Hussain Khan on Madar (1994) was followed by other experiments, notably with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette for Thimar (1998) and Blue Maqams (2017), in addition to his own solo, trio and quartet albums, including Astrakhan Café (2000), Le Pas du Chat Noir (2002), The Astounding Eyes of Rita (2009) and Souvenance (2014). In 2025, he reunited with Dave Holland and teamed up with cellist Anja Lechner and pianist Django Bates for After the Blue Sky, fittingly produced by the man who made him famous, Manfred Eicher.
