Osama Abdulrasol's cosmopolitan approach to his music stems from his personal search for freedom of expression. The virtuoso qanun player, composer, producer and visual artist was born in Iraq into a deeply religious household where music was forbidden. As a child, he secretly studied music from books and when he could finally escape to Baghdad, he learnt to play any instrument he could find, from accordion to violin, oud, guitar, saxophone and clarinet, while playing classical music, folk, rock and heavy metal. It wasn't until he left Iraq that he discovered the qanun, but he is today arguably one of the world's most innovative exponents of the instrument. Composing, performing and collaborating across the genres with his highly-skilled Quintet, he moves imaginatively between the worlds of oriental and occidental classical music and jazz.

www.osart.be

Samples and videos