Jasser Haj Youssef performs Sounds of Ihsane in Edinburgh

The concert ‘Sounds of Ihsane’ was performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, marking the first time the music from the dance production ‘Ihsane’ has been presented in a concert format.

Led by Tunisian composer and viola d’amore specialist Jasser Haj Youssef, the ensemble included Palestinian oud player Nizar Rohana, Italian percussionist Gabriele Miracle Bragintini, and vocalists Fadia Tomb El-Hage and Mohammed El Arabi Serghini. The performance utilized the unique harmonic complexity of the viola d’amore, an instrument featuring sympathetic strings that resonate to enrich the sound.

The musical themes draw on North African, Ottoman, Italian, and French influences. The work is tied to a dance production choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, which serves as a tribute to Ihsane Jarfi, a Moroccan man murdered in Belgium. The music explores themes of grief, violence, and the search for connection through diverse emotional landscapes.