LIVE PERFORMANCE: EXCLUSIVE SOLO OUD BY THE ACCLAIMED KAMAL MUSALLAM
Subject: Fusion Music
No. of Sessions: 1
Time Schedule: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Dates: 16 March
Audience: Seniors (15+)
Performance by: Kamal Mussalam
Venue: ARTSAWA | ALQUOZ

Kamal Musallam
Born in Kuwait on June 8 1970, from very artistic parents, Kamal showed unique talents for drawing and playing music from the early age of 3. He started learning guitar at the age of 9 but took it more seriously when he was 17. Kamal was educated as architect and has went through various musical experiences throughout his young age and college times; of which were Arabic bands, Flamenco, Rock and Blues bands. Late 80`s to early 90`s, he started discovering more of Jazz sounds and got to know Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, George Benson, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, among many others. In 1994 he moved to France, where he experienced another true musical atmosphere for four years, attending festivals and concerts in both France and Switzerland. He met artists from all over Europe and the world. There he created a more obvious interest for jazz, and developed his playing style. In 1997 he moved back for one year in Lebanon to work as architect; during which he met Ziad Rahbani and started to be a part of his ensemble. There he was convinced his real passion was music and nothing but that, and had to make a serious decision about his career, either to be an architect or a musician, and he chose to explore the musical world. That decision demanded a second trip to France to explore more into the core of the music industry. Kamal’s final return to settle in Jordan, led him to establish his own label K&G and to produce his first album ON A JORDAN RIVER’S SIDE - 2003. It was followed by Out Of MY CITY, 2008, LULU, 2009, SONGS FOR SEUNG-EUN, 2011, THE BEST OF KAMAL MUSALLAM, 2012 and HOMEMADE IN ROME, 2014. New collaborations with Billy Cobham, Kai Echhardt and Mike Stern are still in production phases.
At present, he is settled in Dubai, active locally and internationally as performer and producer. His main bands are Kamal Musallam Group, Kamal Musallam Trio and EastMania.
Kamal is presently playing a new hybrid of the guitar and oud called the MultiOud, developed with Godin in Canada. And he has just released with Ibanez guitars new designs of a signature models (KMM1, KMA1 and lately KMM100) with a dedicated “quarter tones” playing facility, opening new horizons for guitarists to experiment with additional sounds non existing on standard guitars.
FESTIVALS (SELECTION)
2015/ Sharjah World Music Festival, UAE
2014/ Volvo Ocean Race, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2014/ Sabang Jazz Festival, Aceh, Indonesia
2014/ Asean Jazz Festival, Batam, Indonesia
2013/ Asian Music Festival, Malaysia
2012/ Jeonju International Sori Festival, S. Korea
2012/ du world Music Festival, UAE
2011/ Abu Dhabi International Film Festival, UAE
2011/ Asean Jazz Festival, Batam, Indonesia
2011/ Umbria Jazz festival, Perugia, Italy
2011/ du World Music Festival, UAE
2011/ Java Jazz Festival, Jakarta, Indonesia
2010/ Asian Games, Guangzhou, China
2010/ Monju World Music Festival, Bandung, Indonesia
2010/ Formula I, UAE
2010/ Abu Dhabi International Film Festival, UAE
2010/ Vienna Jazz Festival, Austria
2010/ Cannes Film Festival, France
2009/ Formula I, UAE (opening act)
2009/ Middle-East International Film Festival, UAE
2009/ Jordan Music Festival, Jordan.
2009/ Java Jazz Festival, Jakarta, Indonesia
2008/ Dubai International Film Festival, UAE
2007/ Dubai International Jazz festival, UAE (opening act)
2005/ Abu Dhabi International Jazz Festival, UAE (opening act)
2005/ Dubai International Jazz Festival, UAE
2005/ Musqat International Jazz Festival, Oman
2004/ Dubai International Film Festival, UAE
2003/ Abu Dhabi International Jazz Festival, UAE (Opening act)
2000/ Jerash Festival, Jordan
PLAYED ALONG WITH
George Benson, Billy Cobham, Bobby McFerrin, Bob Franceschini, Randy Brecker, Ada Rovatti, Stanely Jordan, Ranjit Barot, Anne Ducros, Dwiki Dharmawan, Andy Suzuki, David Reinhardt, Jorge Pardo (Paco De Lucia Sextet), Francisco Molina, Israel Varela, Volker Schlott and others.  
LATEST PROJECTS & WEBSITES
Kamal Musallam Group & Trio  www.kamalmusallam.com
EastMania  www.eastmania.net DISCOGRAPHY
2012/ The Best Of Kamal Musallam 1999-2011 - K&G
2011/ Songs For Seung-eun - K&G (Official selection at the GRAMMY AWARDS 2012)
2010-2012/ Eastmania - K&G Productions (work in progress)
2009/ Lulu - K&G Productions (Official selection at the GRAMMY AWARDS 2010)
2008/ Out of My City - K&G 
2004/ Zaman - EMI  (compilation)
2003/ On a Jordan River`s Side - K&G  
2002/ Talileh/Jordan in Music - Spotalent (compilation)
ENDORSEMENTS
2011-present/ Reference Cables - Italy,
2006-present/ Ibanez Guitars - Japan,
2006-present/ Godin Guitars - Canada,
2006-present/ Rode Microphones - Australia,