Bachar Mar-Khalifé in Marseille

Bachar Mar-Khalifé is a Lebanese-French singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, born in Beirut in 1983. His records use Arabic vocals, piano, percussion, electronics and jazz-informed arrangements; Oil Slick, Ya Balad and On/Off are central releases in his solo catalogue. At NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert, he performed material from Ya Balad at the piano with a small ensemble. The Water Wheel later grew out of a Philharmonie de Paris commission to reinterpret Escalay by Nubian musician Hamza El Din, turning a concert project into a full album. He plays theatres and festivals in France and has returned to Lebanon for concerts.