"MAJÃZ GJØR OSLO STØRRE"-JAZZNYTT
Majãz is an Oslo-based band that plays a variety of musical styles with roots in the Middle East, such as Sufi, Dabke, Tarab, and Shaabi. The bands current line-up consists of Saleh Mahfoud, (guitar, kanun and vocal), Rola Srour (vocal), Adrian Myhr (bass), Jonas Cambien (sax, synth and melodica), Michaela Antalová (drums) and Jamal Safi (percussion).
Majãz was established in 2016, and has performed on some of Norway's major stages and festivals, such as Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, Kampenjazz, Mela, Oslo Kulturnatt, Transform festivalen, Heme Dine Festival and Kulturkræsj. In 2020 Majãz performed at the opening concert of Oslo World at Rockefeller, with string players from the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.
In 2017 Majãz released the album ''Skjønnhet Utenfra II'' on OK World, a sublabel of the Norwegian record label Jazzland. This album was made as part of the project Skjønnhet Utenfra with guitarist Knut Reiersrud, saxophone player Håkon Kornstad and percussionist Rune Arnesen. It features a mix of traditional tunes from Syria and Gaza, in contemporary arrangements with a range of moods that go from
exuberant optimism to pensive melancholy.
Saleh Mahfoud
Saleh Mahfoud is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer and composer who has played a crucial role in strengthening Arabic music in the Norwegian music scene in recent years.
Saleh is originally from Syria, he is the lead singer of Majaz and plays several instruments such as guitar, kanun and oud.
Saleh has been working on various music and cultural projects in Norway, including Majaz, Trimolo, Oslo Dabke festival and club.
Rola Sror
Rola Srour is a Palestinian artist from Gaza, currently based in Oslo. She started singing in Palestine, where she did local musical and theatrical works. After she moved to Norway in 2007, she participated in several works as a solo artist, and is now one of the the lead singers in Majãz. With a smooth and strong voice, Rola does magic on stage when singing.
Adrian Myhr
Adrian Myhr is a bassplayer (double bass and electric bass) and guitarist from Trondheim, currently living in Oslo. Adrian plays in bands like Oker, Bansal Band, Dr. Kay & his Interstellar Tone Scientists, Johan Lindvall Trio, Carlo Maria Nartoni Trio, Majaz, Kim Myhr : You|Me, ComboNations, Javid Afsari Rad Ensemble, Torg, DaMaNa & Doneda/Myhr.
He also play concerts with his solo project. As a musician hi is interested in exploring the sound possibilities of his instruments and working on making his sound vocabulary larger.
Adrian plays different genres and feel comfortable playing everything from free-improvised music to jazz, world music and pop.
Jonas Cambien
Jonas Cambien (b.1985) is a Belgian pianist and improviser, active on the Norwegian scene for improvised and contemporary music since he moved to Oslo in 2008.
Jonas Cambien is most noted for leading his own trio, featuring André Roligheten on reeds, and Andreas Wildhagen on drums. The trio has performed on major stages in Norway and abroad, and has released two albums on the Portuguese label Clean Feed: ‘A Zoology of the Future’ (2016) and ‘We Must Mustn’t We’ (2018). The American jazz critic John Sharpe picked A Zoology of the Future as one of the 10 best jazz albums of 2016, and said about We Must Mustn’t We: ‘They sound like no-one else.’
Michaela Antalová
Michaela Antalová is a Slovak composer and drummer living in Oslo. Leading her own ensemble Mikoo and touring with her solo drum performances, Michaela drifts through genres playing a variety of percussion, hand drums and drum kit. She is occupied by exploring improvisation in many settings and using this experience in baroque, world, singer-songwriter and experimental music.
Collaborations with Lę Quan Ninh, Chris Corsano, Martin Küchen, Knut Reiersrud, Kim Myhr, Atle Nymo, Mats Eilertsen, Sudeshna Bhattacharya, Hans Kjorstad and Bjarte Eike. Her first solo album Oblak, Oblek, Oblúk was released in 2016. Michaela released her second album, a 40-minute piece called nethuns: music for 14-musicians, in 2020.
Jamal Safi
Jamal Safi is a Palestinian percussion player who plays mostly all types of Middle Eastern percussion instruments. For Jamal, the music came in the DNA, and it is the natural thing to do.