Performance

When Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Where National Concert Hall, Main Auditorium
Presented by Waltons New School of Music

Le Trio Joubran

Samir Joubran
Wissam Joubran
Adnan Joubran
Youssef Hbeisch, percussion

We were honoured to welcome Le Trio Joubran – ‘the ultimate masters of the oud ensemble’ – to Dublin for the first time.

Le Trio Joubran is a Palestinian oud (Arab lute) trio formed by three brothers – Samir, Wissam and Adnan Joubran – originally from Nazareth and now touring and performing worldwide, along with master percussionist Youssef Hbeisch. Their music reflects a deep understanding of the oud, a four thousand year old instrument of great importance in Palestinian culture, but it also takes inspiration from jazz and flamenco and is filled with rich, subtle melodies and magnificent improvisations. Quite simply, Le Trio Joubran is one of the most exciting instrumental groups in the world.

‘Wistful and brooding, yet always ravishingly tasteful….There are few enough oud (Arab lute) ensembles in the world and none that come close to Trio Joubran for imaginative compositions and intuitive interplay….the ultimate masters of the oud ensemble.’
– Songlines Magazine

‘With mysterious, seductive eloquence, they communicate profound ideas about history, musical evolution, and the beautiful aesthetics of Arabic music, still far too little-known in Western societies.’
– NPR’s All Things Considered

‘A splendid show from the oud-wielding brothers from Nazareth. The oud must be one of the most beautiful instruments in the world, both in appearance and sound, and this concert was a real showcase. The trio’s on-stage communication both with each other and the audience was remarkable, and the mellow sound they coaxed from their instruments was gorgeous.’
– Charlie Gillett

‘Listening to these master musicians from a long lineage of musicians and master instrument makers, it’s difficult not to hope for peace. And it’s difficult not to believe that peace is possible when beautiful and tranquil music flows from the hands of three Palestinian brothers.’
– The Whole Music Experience

‘The three Joubran brothers have always played their ouds like an oncoming thunderstorm: an ominous rumble illuminated by flashes of lightning-fast virtuosity.’
– The Financial Times

‘three of the most original musicians in the Arab world’
– The Guardian

Le Trio Joubran

The history of Le Trio Joubran began with Samir, the eldest brother, who was introduced to the oud (Arab lute) at the age of five by his father. Samir went on to become a virtuoso soloist, recording two acclaimed albums, Taqaseem (1996) and Sou’fahm (2001) and touring throughout Europe and the Middle East. (At the time he was the only Palestinian musician performing beyond the borders of his own country.) For his third album, Tamaas (2002), Samir invited his younger brother Wissam to join him. Three songs from this album were used in the award-winning film Inguélézi, by the director François Dupeyron. Adnan, the youngest, joined his older brothers in 2004, and the Trio was introduced to the public on a summer afternoon that year, in Paris’s Luxembourg Gardens. In March 2005 Le Trio Joubran recorded their first album together, Randana (the title a contraction of ranna, meaning ‘resonance’ and dandana, meaning ‘hum’), on the Randana-Fairplay/Harmonia Mundi label.

In December 2005, the Franco-German television station ARTE broadcast Improvisation, Samir et ses frères(Improvisation, Samir and His Brothers). Through it the Palestinian director Raed Andoni provides an intimate look at the birth of the Trio, including their conflict of identity (that of Palestinian musicians bearing Israeli passports), their family history and their extraordinary passion and determination.

Le Trio Joubran are the worthy inheritors of a long family tradition. Their parents, Hatem Mbadda Joubran, a master oud-maker known throughout the Arab world, and Ibtisam Hanna Joubran, a singer, both come from generations of musicians. But while steeped in the rich traditions of Arab music and long history of the oud, the brothers are also daring improvisers and original creators. In fact, Samir’s inspiration to form a trio came from Friday Night in San Francisco, the classic live album with Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin.

Since its formation, Le Trio Joubran has performed worldwide to sold-out venues from Carnegie Hall in New York to Théâtre de la Ville in Paris and from WOMAD to the Holland Festival. In addition toRandana, they have recorded three albums: Majâz (Metaphor, 2007), with master percussionist Yousef Hbeisch;À l’ombre des mots (In the Shadow of Words, 2008); and AsFâr (2011), featuring the composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef, as well as Yousef Hbeisch. And they composed and recorded the soundtrack for Le dernier vol (The Last Flight, 2009), with Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet.

Concert Photo Gallery

A selection of photographs by Fatin Al Tamimi of Le Trio Joubran’s performance on 9 June 2015. (All photos © Fatin Al Tamimi.)

Selected YouTube Videos