Joseph Tawadros
| Joseph Tawadros | |
|---|---|
 Tawadros at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards, Sydney, November 26th, 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
1983 (age 32–33) |
| Origin | Cairo, Egypt |
| Genres | jazz, World music, Classical |
| Occupation(s) | musician/composer |
| Instruments | oud, |
| Years active | 1995—present |
| Website | josephtawadros.com |
Joseph Tawadros AM (born 1983 in Cairo, Egypt) is a Coptic Egyptian Australian oud virtuoso.[1] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012 he won Best World Music Album for Concerto of the Greater Sea, he won the same category in 2013 for Chameleons of the White Shadow and in 2014 for Permission to Evaporate.
Biography
His family emigrated from Egypt to Australia when he was three.[2] Initially attracted to the trumpet, he decided to learn oud when he was eight, after seeing a movie about Egypt's famous musicien, Sayed Darwish.[3] He is classically trained, having completed a bachelor of music at the University of New South Wales, where he was awarded a Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music.[2] In the 2000s, he also studied in Egypt with violin player Esawi Dagher, son of the legendary violin player Abdo Dagher. During the years that followed, he spent three months a year in Egypt and learned to play other instruments: the bamboo flute nay, the Arabic zither qanun and the cello.[3] He won the Australian Recording Industry Award in 2012 for the Best World Music Album.[4] He had been nominated nine times before, without winning.[5] He won it again in 2013 and 2014.[6][7]
Style
Joseph Tawadros’style is described as very eclectic. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, "he has taken the oud out of its traditional Middle Eastern setting and into the realm of classical music and jazz".[2] "I don't like to play in a particulare genre, I love all sorts of music", Tawadros explains. "I try to record an album a year and one that's totally different from the previous album".[8] He has collaborated with musicians such as John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Ayers, Bela Fleck, Joey DeFrancesco, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and The Academy of Ancient Music.
Joseph Tawadros plays 52 instruments on his album World Music (including oud, qanun, saz, violin, ney, Portuguese guitar, electric bass, kalimba and accordion) and his brother James 11 percussion instruments.[9]
Discography
Albums
- 2004 – "Storyteller" (solo oud)
- 2005 – "Rouhani" (with Bobby Singh)
- 2006 – "Visions" (with James Tawadros)
- 2007 – "Epiphany" (with James Tawadros & Ben Rodgers)
- 2008 – "Angel" (with James Tawadros, Matt McMahon & Dimitri Vouras)
- 2009 – "The Prophet" – Music inspired by the poetry of Kahlil Gibran (solo oud)
- 2010 – "The Hour of Separation" (with James Tawadros (req), John Abercombie (electric guitar), John Patitucci (double bass), Jack DeJohnette ("special guest" on drums on four tracks)
- 2011 – "The Tawadros Trilogy: Dawn of Awakening" – Various artists
- 2012 – "Concerto of The Greater Sea" (with Richard Tognetti (violin) and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, James Tawadros (req and bendir), Matt McMahon (piano), Christopher Moore (viola)
- 2013 – "Chameleons of the White Shadow" (with Bela Fleck (banjo), Roy Ayers (vibraphone), Richard Bona (electric basss), Joey DeFrancesco (Hammond organ), James Tawadros (req and bendir), Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion)
- 2014 – "Permission to Evaporate" (with Christian McBride (double bass), Matt MacMahon (piano), Mike Stern (electric guitar) and James Tawadros (req and bendir)
- 2015 - "Truth Seekers Lovers and Warriors" (with James Crabb (accordion), James Greening (trombone), Matt McMahon (piano) and James Tawadros (req and bendir)
- 2016 - "World Music" (with Joseph Tawadros (52 instruments, including oud qanun, ney, violin and saz) and James Tawadros (11 percussion instruments including req, bendir and cajon)
Musical scores
Music scores composed for the following films:
- I Remember 1948 (documentary)
- The Last Days of Yasser Arafat (documentary)
- Haneen (short film)
- Checkpoint (short film)
See also
References
- ↑ Creagh, Sunanda (1 November 2006). "Joseph Tawadros – Gig Reviews". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- 1 2 3 Creagh, Sunanda (27 October 2012). "From ancient strings, a new mood for the oud". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- 1 2 "Long journey from Redfern to a world of musical riches for Joseph Tawadros". The Australian. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ↑ Creagh, Sunanda (28 March 2013). "Oud player keeps good company". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ↑ "Oud player hits the high notes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ↑ http://www.ariaawards.com.au/news/64/aria
- ↑ http://www.aria.com.au/documents/2014ARIAAwardsConnectedByTelstra-Nominatedartistsrevealed.pdf
- ↑ "The Dreamers. Joseph Tawadros". mapmagazine. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ↑ Shand, John (15 April 2016). "Joseph Tawadros review : Only eight instruments? he's not trying hard enough". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 23 April 2016.