The Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz Ensemble combines the impelling ancient rhythms of Africa with exhilarating, modern jazz improvisations. From Nubia, Sudan, to Harlem and Toronto.
Their rhythms are played in what is considered “odd time” in Western music, combining jazz chord progressions with traditional African rhythms to produce an entrancing experience. Waleed tells stories atop an imaginative musical landscape, inspired by the chanting and vocal phrasing which have accompanied these rhythms since ancient times. Each composition narrates an experience or journey, continually changing depending on what story the musicians want to tell. Sometimes these experiences are personal, sometimes they are historical, sometimes they are a retelling of the past of the Nile and Nubian pyramids. Each musical journey creates a relationship between the storyteller (the band) and the audience. Waleed sings in over 15 African and Western languages, celebrating the African diaspora in Canada. As the band leader, Waleed has received numerous awards for different solo and group projects, being awarded and nominated for several Juno and Grammy awards.
The ensemble includes:
Waleed Abdul-Hamid-bass and vocals
Simon Miminis-drums
Sarah Lounsbury- keyboards and vocals
Cory Sitek-saxophones
Rudy Ray Kwaku -trumpet
Artist Website: https://www.waleedkush.ca/