Taqsim (2020)

Composed and performed by Basel Rajoub A taqsim is an improvised prelude to a longer composition or suite in traditional Arabic and Turkish music, and is typically performed by a solo instrumentalist. In this taqsim, Basel Rajoub improvises on the duclar, a hybrid instrument that joins the single-reed mouthpiece of a clarinet to the body of the duduk—the Armenian double-reed woodwind instrument. The idea for the duclar came from an instrument-maker in Siberia. Basel Rajoub is a saxophonist and composer-improviser whose inspirations include traditional Middle Eastern rhythms and melodies as well as jazz. Born in Aleppo, Syria, he graduated from the Damascus High Institute of Music and creates new music that brings together musicians from the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Europe. A winner of Radio Monte Carlo’s Moyen-Orient Music Award, Basel Rajoub divides his time between performing, teaching, composing, and recording. Currently based in Geneva, Basel performs as a member of several ensembles, and is the founding member of the Soriana Project.