Koum Tara is a meeting of four musical worlds centred around a common project, created and directed by pianist-composer Karim Maurice: traditional chaabi music, classical string quartet, contemporary music and jazz. The raw material was extracted from the traditional repertoire of Algerian singer Sid Ahmed Belksier.
These themes were worked, distorted, reharmonized and restructured to create a hybrid, cross-cultural style. As part of the writing process, the musicians (Karim Maurice, Sid Ahmed Belksier, Kamal Mazouni and Brice Berrerd) brought their own identity and their specific know-how to each piece. This has been a cultural meeting of minds, resulting in a unique musical texture. Chaâbi's traditional poetry and love songs are blended with the tradition of the Western string quartet, jazz improvisation and electronic music, creating a fusion of styles and genres within each piece.
At a time when humanity, respect for cultures, and tolerance are seen as much-needed values for building a better world, this performance offers a musical universe in which each person brings his or her identity, cultural heritage and originality to sing universal love.
