ALULA is a septet of jazz and world musicians focused on performing Iraqi folk songs in an improvised jazz frame. Founded by British-Iraqi singer and composer, Alya Marquardt. Support will be from Clemens Christian Pötzsch.
This project is an exploration by Marquardt to understand her feelings about the country of her birth, attempting to hold both the beautiful and the ugly, the mechanical sounds of war and the human sound of song and present the diaspora experience in the fusion of different musical styles and histories.
“It’s a real pleasure to hear how Alya has embraced her own rich cultural heritage and used some elements of that to not only acknowledge the past but to introduce us to her present thoughts on what will look to be an intriguing musical journey.” Orphy Robinson
The line-up includes:
Alya Marquardt – vocals
Asaf Sirkis – drums and percussion
Sam Leak – piano
George Crowley – saxophone and bass clarinet
Shirley Smart – cello
Nikos Ziarkis – oud
Olie Brice – bass
Performing before Alula will be Clemens Christian Pötzsch, Bremer Jazz Prize Winner in 2012.
