Anouar Brahem: After the Last Sky

Eight years after Blue Maqams, Anouar Brahem returns with a new poignant project, titled after a line of verse by poet Mahmoud Darwish, which asks “Where should the birds fly, after the last sky?” Graceful chamber pieces for oud, cello, piano and bass subtly address the metaphysical question and its broad resonances in a troubled time. While drawing upon the traditional modes of Arab music, Brahem has consistently sought to engage with the wider world, too, and found inspiration in many sources from different cultures.

It is in this spirit of openness that, to bring this project—both intimate and universal—to life, Anouar Brahem gathered an international and intergenerational quartet. Centered around his oud are the refined piano of British musician Django Bates, the powerfully lyrical cello of Anja Lechner, and—especially for this tour—the fluid yet earthy double bass of the great Norwegian master Mats Eilertsen.

The deep mutual listening among the four musicians imbues the program’s pure melodies beautifully enhanced by arrangements that emphasize the complementary dialogue between cello and oud—with a profoundly moving emotional and expressive power.