Ahoar

The marshes in southern Iraq in the common delta of the Euphrates and Tigris is called Ahoar. Just like the fertile soil of this two-streams delta, the combination of
traditional Iraqi maqam music and western jazz sounds resulted in a fruitful new
kind of music, that surprises by the casualness with which these
musicians find each other.

Ahoar is a new band consisting of two Iraqi concert musicians, a Belgian jazz pianist and a German bassist. With this unique combination of styles the gentlemen of Ahoar are moving through musically uncultivated land. Two virtuoso Iraqis, on Djoos and darbouka, dare to meet two very experienced jazz musicians. In 2006 their CD won a world music award in Germany.

Both interesting and spicy is the combination of the originally unanimous maqam music and light oriental jazz elements. Ahoar combines maqam with lyrical jazz sounds and provides her with a harmonic context.


Saad Thamir: Vocals, darbouka, bendir

Bassem Hawar: Djoze

Dietmar Fuhr: bass

Free Desmyter: Jazz Piano