Ibrahim Maalouf loves to blow the trumpet in his own way

Ibrahim Maalouf conjures up a blend of Afrobeat, jazz, and world music
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf has an interesting way of describing himself. “If you call me 100 per cent Arabic, that’s true. But if you call me 100 per cent French, that’s also true,” he says. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, the 44-year-old musician had to shift to Paris as a child during the Lebanese Civil War in the 1980s. Since Arabic music has been running in the family, he grew up on the two diverse cultures simultaneously. 

Ibrahim will perform at Mumbai’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Grand Theatre on November 29 in a show titled ‘Sounds Of Jazz’. He and Cameroon-born American bassist and singer Richard Bona will be doing separate sets. Ibrahim will be accompanied by his nine-member group Trumpets of Michel-Ange, which will also include a guitarist, saxophonist and four other trumpeters. “My playing uses a lot of Arabic elements and though it took time, the other trumpeters did a great job adapting to my style,” he says. 

Trumpets Of Michel-Ange was released in September, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Trumpets Of Michel-Ange is also the name of Maalouf’s latest album, released in September this year. It is a tribute to his grandfather, a musicologist, and father Nassim Maalouf, who invented a quarter-tone trumpet, which could play Arabic modes not possible on regular trumpets. “Most of the album is joyful and festive, I have worked on all the compositions, and the idea was to fulfil my father’s dream of sharing his quarter-tone trumpet with the rest of the world,” says Ibrahim. The album also has guest appearances by jazz musician Trombone Shorty, late Malian kora player Toumani Diabate and singer Endea Owens. 

This seven-song record links Africa and the Middle East
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Ibrahim’s unique trumpet style was even recognised by the legendary Quincy Jones, who decided to promote him. His other achievements include playing alongside Sting at the reopening of the Bataclan theatre in Paris, performing in memory of victims of the 2015 Paris terror attack and collaborating with Beninese-French singer Angelique Kidjo on the Grammy-nominated 2022 album Queen Of Sheba. He says, “My interaction with Sting was a game-changer, and I was really touched by his humility. With Angelique, I had the chance of learning more about African music.” 

What’s interesting is that Ibrahim started off by playing western classical baroque music. His father had studied in Paris under the great French trumpeter Maurice Andre. As a teenager, he accompanied his father on tour, and their repertoire would include the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Purcell and Antonio Vivaldi. He also learnt the rudiments of Arabic music from his father. He adds, “While those were the basics, being a trumpet player, one has to follow the work of jazz legend Miles Davis at some point. It was the first time I heard someone play so softly and yet create such an impact.” 

Ibrahim says one of his motives is to keep experimenting with new sounds. Thus, Queen of Sheba is a seven-song record linking Africa and the Middle East, with Angelique writing songs in the Yoruba language and Ibrahim composing and arranging the music. His 2022 album Capacity To Love took him to another zone, as he collaborated with a range of hip-hop and pop artistes. The title track features famed singer Gregory Porter. 

In Capacity of Love Ibrahim collaborated with  hip-hop and pop artistes.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Among Indian musicians, Ibrahim has worked with London-based tabla exponent Talvin Singh and Tunisian-French oud player Smadj on the 2009 live track ‘Fougueuese’, and with drummer Trilok Gurtu on the 2020 track ‘Diaspora’. He says, “I have also followed the work of Ravi Shankar and the new things Anoushka Shankar is doing. I love the voice and singing style of Sid Sriram. On my India visit, I hope to meet some musicians and discuss ideas.” 

Ibrahim says one of his biggest influences has been Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali. To demonstrate, he even hums the opening lines of the hit song ‘Awaargi’. “It’s been said far too often that music has no boundaries, and that’s very true. In these times of conflict, music can play a major role in bringing about peace.” 

Though he and Richard Bona are doing separate sets at the Mumbai show, Ibrahim hopes they will play one or two numbers together. They have earlier collaborated on the tune ‘Meeva In Wonderland’ from Ibrahim’s album 40 Melodies. For his part, Richard has played with frontline musicians such as keyboardist Joe Zawinul, guitarists Larry Coryell, Mike Stern and George Benson, and saxophonists Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis. Jazz fans are in for a super-treat this month-end.