Nile Project musicians to embark on tour of Europe

A dozen artists are set to perform (and take part in panel discussions) in Brussels, Belgium on 15 and 16 June before staging two concerts in the UK on 18 and 19 June.

The artists on the Nile Project's upcoming European tour are Adel Mekha (Egypt), Ahmed Omar (Eritrea), Asia Madani (Sudan), Claude Ciza (Burundi), Dave Otieno (Kenya), Dawit Seyoum Estifanos (Ethiopia), Endalekachew Nigusie (Ethiopia), Msafiri Zawose (Tanzania), Kasiva Mutua (Kenya), Nader El Shaer (Egypt), Roza Kifle (Ethiopia) and Saleeb Lowza (Egypt).

The full tour dates are as follows:

• Wednesday 15 June: Panel discussion and live concert at the 10th European Development Days forum at Tour & Taxis in Brussels, Belgium
• Thursday 16 June: Bozar in Brussels, Belgium
• Saturday 18 June: Yorkshire Festival at The Alhambra Theatre in Bradford, UK
• Sunday 19 June: Islington Assembly Hall at the Barbican in London, UK

Among the touring musicians is one of Kenya's leading guitarists, Dave Otieno, who is fluent in the Benga style common to the Lake Victoria region. He has worked with various artists from Kenya and across Africa. In 1995 he was commissioned by the Ethiopian Government to design a recording studio for the Mega Creative Arts Centre in Addis.  

Egyptian percussionist and vocalist Adel Mekha will mesmerize with his knowledge of traditional Nubian rhythms and his expressive singing voice. He has worked with a wide range of ensembles and projects in and around Cairo and is currently a member of Uss We Lazq (Cut & Paste), a socially engaged Egyptian band.

Burundian artist Claude Ciza began his musical journey on traditional drums before his curiosity carried him to modern sounds. By the age of 18, he was touring Africa with Kidum and Samputu, among others. He later moved to the Netherlands, where he graduated from Prins Claus Conservatory studying jazz drumming under the tutelage of Ralph Peterson and Steve Alternburg. A composer, drummer and in-­demand teacher, Claude has toured Europe, Africa and the US.

Nader El Shaer was born and raised in the musically diverse climate of Port Said, Egypt. Despite never receiving formal training, he started playing accordion at a young age, switching to the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) as a teenager before discovering a deep connection with the tone of the kawala (another type of flute). Nader is a master the Middle Eastern musical tradition of maqam, but also listens to and plays music from India, Turkey and East Asia.

The Nile Project’s first album, Aswan, was released in 2013 and a follow-up, Jinja, was recorded during the Project’s 2015 US tour and is set to be released soon. Founded in 2013, the project strives to further musical exchange and dialogue and to raise awareness of the Nile region’s delicate ecosystem.

For more information about the Nile Project and its European tour, visit the collective’s Facebook page.