Born in Halfaouine, Tunisia on October 20, 1957, Anouar Brahem is an oud (a short-neck lute-type stringed instrument) player and composer. His blending of folk music, jazz, and classical is innovative and has earned him a devoted audience in his homeland and abroad. At the age of 10, he began to study the oud and pursued an apprenticeship with the great master Ali Sriti. While he made a name for himself in Tunisia, his real musical journey began when he moved to Paris in 1981. Based there for four years, Brahem collaborated with Maurice Béjart and Gabriel Yared. Moving back to Tunisia in 1985, he built his reputation as a composer and skilled player. He signed to ECM Records in 1989. After nearly two decades of solo albums and collaboratios with other artists, he formed the Anouar Brahem Trio with Lassad Hosni (bendir, goblet drum) and Barbaros Erköse (clarinet). They released their album Astrakan Café in 2000 on ECM Records.
