Dhafer Youssef in Istanbul

Dhafer Youssef is a Tunisian oud player, vocalist and composer, born in Teboulba in 1967. He plays Arabic music shaped by jazz improvisation, electronic textures and Sufi vocal traditions. His principal works include the albums Electric Sufi, Birds Requiem and Diwan of Beauty and Odd, as well as Sounds of Mirrors, recorded with Zakir Hussain, Hüsnü Şenlendirici and Eivind Aarset. In 2016, he brought oud, voice and a compact jazz ensemble to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. The Diwan of Beauty and Odd project reached Jazz sous les pommiers in Coutances in 2017, followed by a performance of Sounds of Mirrors at Jazz à Vienne in 2019.