Sharkiat, Fathy Salama and Fernando Perez present a new pot melting with the sounds and rhythms of arabic maqams, jazz improvs and flamenco styles as well as special appearances by artists like Mr. Jagdeep on tabla (India), Nicolas Magriel on indian sarangi (USA) or Trygve Seim on sax (Norway). Sharkiat band is formed by 7 artists including:

Karima Nayt : voice, dance
Fathy Salama : piano, keyboards, samplers and percussions
Ayman Sedki : douf, djembé, dohoula, drum
Ramadan Mansour : tabla, douf
Ahmed Al Gazar : saggat, dance
Saleh El Artist : accordion
Ahmed Hany: bass

Arabic scented jazz, spice coloured blues: the music created by Fathy Salama, an Egyptian pianist and composer, for his ensemble Sharkiat (Orientals) has unique flavours. It seduces European or Japanese audiences but also the popular Egyptian audience, which is the most demanding. Sharkiat never takes it easy. Its improvisations, a feature common to Arabic music and jazz, are built on a deep knowledge of the Arab heritage. He won a Grammy and a BBC Award with Youssou 'N' Dour.

Musicians juggle with "maqam" (the traditionnal rythms and scales of Arabic music) by dusting them and by making them dance. They play with the thousand and one rythms carried by the Nile over the centuries, from deep inside Africa to the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. His creator, Fathy Salama, has never hesitated to make the connection between the African oriental, Turkish and black rhythms. With Sharkiat, he worked out an explosive formula which makes the beautiful part in the interbreeding between folklores of the soil and jazz, funk even pop. In the arrival one receives a jubilant music, everything in sharpness, and a style which does not deny for all that its oriental references, in the widest sense of the term.

Fathy Salama official website