Matonas Afdhal Group
Matonas Afdhal Group is an eclectic band which takes Taraab music – a fusion of various African, Arabic and Indian music- as its departure point. Using Taraab as a musical platform, the group explores its harmonic, melodic and rhythmic possibilities while influencing it with jazz, rock and traditional music from different places of the world.
The band emerged from the musical exchange between Tanzanian musician Matona and some of Norway’s best jazz musicians throughout a series of mutual visits. Son of a musician known throughout Tanzania, Matona grew up playing Taraab, the traditional music of Zanzibar. Having toured the world for 30 years, Matona masters many music styles and plays a seemingly endless array of instruments. He effortlessly fuses music from his own country with styles from around the globe. At his Dhow Countries Music Acadamy, Matona and colleagues educate young musicians in Zanzibar’s traditional music styles, and he passes on new musical influence from tours onto students. Matona is the reason the band exists.
Afdal is Arabic for ‘the best’, the word Matona thought of when playing with the group for the first time.
With Taraab tunes at the heart of their music, Matonas Afdhal Group is anchored in a proud tradition, but always exploring, whereby genres pass into each other and traditions merge. The album, named after the band, is their first recording. The record is a homage to the hidden gem in African music and a testament to the friendship forged between the band members, which opened up a new way of understanding music for them.
Mohamed Issa Matona - vocals, oud
Harald Lassen - sax
Emilie Lidsheim - violin, vocals
Martin Lie Svendsen - guitar
Stian A. E. Andersen - bass
Ivar Asheim - drums, percussion