Bouchaib Abdelhadi
Encyclopedia
Bouchaib Abdelhadi, a native of Casablanca
, Morocco
, has had a distinguished musical career on both sides of the Atlantic. As leader of the Orchestre Abdelhadi, he performed throughout the Kingdom of Morocco in the 1980s. Since coming to the United States
in the early 1990s, Abdelhadi has been much sought out as a multi-instrumentalist (oud
, Moroccan violin
, percussion) and as a vocalist in Middle Eastern and North African traditions such as al-Ÿqa (Andalusian), Gnawa (Sufi trance), and Chaabi ("popular").
Career highlights include collaborating with Pharaoh Sanders and others on music for Alonzo King's Lines Ballet Company, and, in 2001, contributing to Omar Sosa
's Grammy-nominated CD Sentir. Abdelhadi's live performances range from a US tour with Cuban jazz pianist Omar Sosa in 2002 to performances with Stephen Kent
and Trance Mission
in 2001 and 2007, and from playing at the 1998 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival to composing and performing Heart Song in conjunction with Alonzo King and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
in 2004.
His collaborations with Alonzo King also include Salt (2005) with the North Carolina Dance Theater, and Ocean (1994) and The Moroccan Project (2005) with LINES Ballet. Abdelhadi played with DJ Chebi Sabbah on the album La Kahena, and enjoys working with artists from diverse musical traditions such as klezmer
, Hindustani, jazz
, and rock
.
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, has had a distinguished musical career on both sides of the Atlantic. As leader of the Orchestre Abdelhadi, he performed throughout the Kingdom of Morocco in the 1980s. Since coming to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 1990s, Abdelhadi has been much sought out as a multi-instrumentalist (oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
, Moroccan violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, percussion) and as a vocalist in Middle Eastern and North African traditions such as al-Ÿqa (Andalusian), Gnawa (Sufi trance), and Chaabi ("popular").
Career highlights include collaborating with Pharaoh Sanders and others on music for Alonzo King's Lines Ballet Company, and, in 2001, contributing to Omar Sosa
Omar Sosa
Omar Sosa is a composer, bandleader, and jazz pianist.-Biography:Sosa began studying marimba at age eight, then switched to piano at the Escuela Nacional de Musica in Havana, where he studied jazz. Sosa moved to Quito, Ecuador, in 1993, then San Francisco, California, in 1995...
's Grammy-nominated CD Sentir. Abdelhadi's live performances range from a US tour with Cuban jazz pianist Omar Sosa in 2002 to performances with Stephen Kent
Stephen Kent (musician)
Stephen Kent is a professional didgeridoo performer, percussionist, composer and recording artist.- Musical career :Kent's musical career has taken him across five continents, living at various times in the UK, Spain, East Africa, Australia and the USA...
and Trance Mission
Trance Mission
Trance Mission is a World Music band with a jazz foundation, playing primal, techno-tribal music in a similar genre as Jon Hassell and Synaesthesia. Stephen Kent, the band's leader, is one of today's most respected and prolific didgeridoo performers, bringing the ancient Aboriginal sound into a...
in 2001 and 2007, and from playing at the 1998 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival to composing and performing Heart Song in conjunction with Alonzo King and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
in 2004.
His collaborations with Alonzo King also include Salt (2005) with the North Carolina Dance Theater, and Ocean (1994) and The Moroccan Project (2005) with LINES Ballet. Abdelhadi played with DJ Chebi Sabbah on the album La Kahena, and enjoys working with artists from diverse musical traditions such as klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
, Hindustani, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.