Josef "Wawau" Adler, born on January 25, 1967, in Karlsruhe, Germany, is a jazz guitarist and composer from a family of German Sinti musicians. He began playing guitar as a toddler and was influenced by Django Reinhardt, focusing intensively on his skills at age 12. By 15, Adler gave his first concert. Adler's debut album With Body & Soul was released in 1991, followed by tours across Western Europe. In 2007, his album Back to the Roots, Volume 2 led to a performance at the Django in June Festival in Northampton, Massachusetts. Throughout his career, Adler has collaborated with notable musicians such as Pee Wee Ellis and Bireli Lagrène. He released Happy Birthday Django 110, a tribute to Django Reinhardt on the occasion of his 110th birthday in 2020. Adler's 2022 album, I Play with You, was produced in collaboration with Denis Chang.
