A Palestinian fraternity, Le Trio Joubran have been a refreshing presence in the world of the oud. Their music is a product of three ouds and some percussion, forgoing any vocals. It is easy to place Le Trio Joubran with other Oud contemporaries such as Naseer Shamma, but their performances as a group give a different, deeper dimension to their music.
As their name suggests, the brothers founded and developed a fan base in France. It is unsurprising that they are more popular in the West, where there has been a growing interest in Middle-Eastern music such as that of Souad Massi. Samir invited his two younger brothers Wassim and Adnan to join him in France after his success as a solo artist. The birth of Le Trio Joubran was marked through the release of the album Randanain (2005).
Their repertoire is entirely instrumental, so it is more likely to expect Le Trio Joubran to feature as background music in a café rather than on the radio waves. This doesn’t do them any justice as their music is rich, stimulating and should be appreciated as solid classical compositions.
Le Trio Joubran’s triumph is best experienced through Masar, a track off their second Album; Majaz. It exemplifies the strength of the Arabic maqam, even though the track is essentially constructed on one repeated riff. It gradually progresses in rhythm, with a subtle introduction of percussion building up to a climax. The track is a celebration of the maqam, giving it the starring role in a sequence lacking any unnecessary extravagance. This unassuming composition is far more evocative in its simplicity than the Arab pop so heavily circulated in the East.
Their latest album, AsFar (meaning ‘Travels’) is a play on words. It is another chapter in the maturation of the group, with tracks such as Nawwarand Dawwar al Shams showing a lot more versatility of the trio with bolder use of percussion. Although more complex, they have successfully maintained the beauty of the maqam as their centre piece.
As their name suggests, the brothers founded and developed a fan base in France. It is unsurprising that they are more popular in the West, where there has been a growing interest in Middle-Eastern music such as that of Souad Massi. Samir invited his two younger brothers Wassim and Adnan to join him in France after his success as a solo artist. The birth of Le Trio Joubran was marked through the release of the album Randanain (2005).
Their repertoire is entirely instrumental, so it is more likely to expect Le Trio Joubran to feature as background music in a café rather than on the radio waves. This doesn’t do them any justice as their music is rich, stimulating and should be appreciated as solid classical compositions.
Le Trio Joubran’s triumph is best experienced through Masar, a track off their second Album; Majaz. It exemplifies the strength of the Arabic maqam, even though the track is essentially constructed on one repeated riff. It gradually progresses in rhythm, with a subtle introduction of percussion building up to a climax. The track is a celebration of the maqam, giving it the starring role in a sequence lacking any unnecessary extravagance. This unassuming composition is far more evocative in its simplicity than the Arab pop so heavily circulated in the East.
Their latest album, AsFar (meaning ‘Travels’) is a play on words. It is another chapter in the maturation of the group, with tracks such as Nawwarand Dawwar al Shams showing a lot more versatility of the trio with bolder use of percussion. Although more complex, they have successfully maintained the beauty of the maqam as their centre piece.
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