Dhafer Youssef Band

From Tunisia, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef is one of the most appealing stars of world music today. Youssef can be deep, light-hearted, complex, funky and achingly romantic, sometimes all within one song. By taking the most positive aspects of nu-jazz,
Youssef has forged thrilling new sounds that could make his collaboration with Divine Shadows a crossover hit. Dhafer’s music is rooted in the Sufi tradition and other mystical music, but has always been wide open to ideas from any other musical culture as well as the jazz scene. With his poetic approach on the oud (the fretless, 11
string, Arabic lute) his complex Arab-coloured compositions, and his deeply affected singing,
Dhafer Youssef is one of the most impressive voices to emerge in this musical field in many years.

Youssef appears with the Divine Shadows Quartet: Jatinder Thakur tabla master, Joanna Lewis violin, Petra Ackerman viola, and Melissa
Coleman cello.

“Dhafer Youssef has created a
unique, spiritual sound, combining
exquisite oud melodies with
extraordinary, unearthly vocals.” –
Global Rhythm