REFA @ Hide & Seek Festival Muziekpublique in Brussel - Ancienne École Vétérinaire / Veeartsenijschool
Refa brings together renowned musicians from Syria, Tibet, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Belgium who are united by their desire to weave links between their music. The group has developed an original repertoire at the crossroads between their different traditions.
After a fantastic five-year adventure with two albums, more than a hundred concerts in Belgium and abroad, rave reviews including the first place in the annual list of the Transglobal World Music Charts in 2016 and the Klara for best Belgian world music album in 2019, Refugees for Refugees has written a new chapter in one of the success stories of traditional music in recent years.
They will continue under a new name and a new line-up. Refugees for Refugees becomes Refa.
“In the first place, we want to be seen as musicians, as people and not as refugees,” says Syrian ud-player Tarek Alsayed. “Our previous name pushed us into a victim role.” The statement is clear: from refugees into musicians.
Line-up
Aren Dolma (voice) (Tibet-BE)
Damla Aydin (Cello) (Turkey-BE)
Fakher Madallal (voice, percussion) (Syria-BE)
Mohammad Aman Yusufi (dambura, voice) (Afghanistan-BE)
Simon Leleux (percussion) (BE)
Shahab Azinmehr (setar, tar) (Iran-BE)
Tammam Al Ramadan (ney) (Syria-BE)
Tareq Alsayed Yahya (ud) (Syria-BE)
REFA @ Hide & Seek Festival Muziekpublique in Brussel - Ancienne École Vétérinaire / Veeartsenijschool
Refa brings together renowned musicians from Syria, Tibet, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Belgium who are united by their desire to weave links between their music. The group has developed an original repertoire at the crossroads between their different traditions.
After a fantastic five-year adventure with two albums, more than a hundred concerts in Belgium and abroad, rave reviews including the first place in the annual list of the Transglobal World Music Charts in 2016 and the Klara for best Belgian world music album in 2019, Refugees for Refugees has written a new chapter in one of the success stories of traditional music in recent years.
They will continue under a new name and a new line-up. Refugees for Refugees becomes Refa.
“In the first place, we want to be seen as musicians, as people and not as refugees,” says Syrian ud-player Tarek Alsayed. “Our previous name pushed us into a victim role.” The statement is clear: from refugees into musicians.
Line-up
Aren Dolma (voice) (Tibet-BE)
Damla Aydin (Cello) (Turkey-BE)
Fakher Madallal (voice, percussion) (Syria-BE)
Mohammad Aman Yusufi (dambura, voice) (Afghanistan-BE)
Simon Leleux (percussion) (BE)
Shahab Azinmehr (setar, tar) (Iran-BE)
Tammam Al Ramadan (ney) (Syria-BE)
Tareq Alsayed Yahya (ud) (Syria-BE)