The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

French trumpeter of Lebanese origin, Ibrahim Maalouf, hails from a largely intellectual family, who fled Lebanon to Paris in the midst of the Lebanese civil war. Growing up in the Parisians suburbs, Ibrahim was to follow in the footsteps of his father, notable trumpeter Nassim Maalouf, and was handed the instrument at 7 years of age.

Throughout his childhood, Ibrahim was exposed him to a repertoire of musical genres including classical, jazz and the traditional Arabic Maqam music. Under such expert guidance, he quickly established a solid foundation that made it possible for him to perform on piccolo trumpet alongside his father as part of a duo. Playing around the world, by the age of 15, Ibrahim had reached the technical proficiency to perform Bach’s 2nd Brandenburg Bach concerto. Encouraged by his father’s teacher, Maurice Andre, he left his scientific studies to embrace playing the trumpet full time, enrolling in conservatories in Paris, winning competitions and embarking on a professional career.

Ibrahim has collaborated and toured with countless notable artists, among them, French singer Vincent Delerm, Georges Moustaki and Sting. He has also played as a soloist in classical settings and composed for an orchestra.

In his fifth album to date, Illusions, the tracks are laden with jazz, funk and rock passages, along with the incorporation of microtonal Arabic melodies. There are instances where the music ventures into free, unclassifiable bouts, such as the midsection of ‘Busy’, where everything collapses into harmonic chaos before returning to its mellow nature.

Though possessing a wide tonal flexibility, Ibrahim predominantly plays with a round, sweet and dark tone throughout the album, reflecting his classical upbringing. His tonal artistry particularly shines on the crowd pleaser ‘InPRESSI’, which features a colourful contrast between dreamy melodic playing and the bellowing trumpet section in the background. The same effect can be heard in ‘Unfaithful’.

Ibrahim Maalouf’s Illusions is another of his albums which is accessible to commercial audiences whilst maintaining an air of sophistication and class. His compositions border along the lines of being complex and catchy, whilst skilfully incorporating Oriental melodies into a predominantly western backdrop.