Musicians Without Borders
2016-2017 : Five international musicians come together in Bahrain to share their cultural differences, by speaking a common language, that of love and peace - the language of music. The program of their concert "The Sound of Peace" embodies their global message with compositions from Cuba, Algeria, Afghanistan, Argentina... as well as tributes to several Arabic music figures such as Fairuz, Ammar al-Sheraei and Dahman al-Harrashi.
The Story
Musicians Without Borders is an international collective of musicians that emerged from the initiative of Saad Mahmoud Jawad, a musician and oud virtuoso. Inheriting his expertise from the renowned Iraqi oud school, Saad dreamed of establishing a musical ensemble capable of transcending the boundaries of various musical and cultural territories intersecting within and beyond Bahrain's cosmopolitan society. The group brings together Saad Mahmood Jawad (oud, Iraq), Ahad Bashir (vocals, Syria), Ibantuta (guitar, Basque Country), Carlos Villarroel (bass guitar, Argentina), and Ahmed Maany (percussion, Egypt).
Their music is an invitation to "venture off the beaten path to explore the music and culture of others."
In the spirit of Gulf Arab music, which itself blends rhythms from East Africa and Middle Eastern melodies, this Manama-based ensemble explores the diversity of repertoire carried by each of its members, ranging from Argentine tango to Syrian songs, flamenco, and Basque music. This music is undoubtedly born from the memory of these pioneering musicians but seized, transformed, and embraced by their shared desire for a creation centered on dialogue and cultural diversity.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture of Bahrain, the group presented its debut concert at the Bahrain International Music Festival in 2016.