One of his two new projects, a tribute to the women who changed the course of history through the iconic figure of Oum Kalthoum, a true monument in the history of the Arab people, whom Ibrahim has listened to a great deal since childhood. “As I am not a singer myself, I try through my instrument to convey this love I have for an art that is ultimately extremely little practiced, that of ‘Tarab’. It is obviously very complex to try to explain what ‘Tarab’ is in music, since it is an emotion, a sensation of ecstasy, an art of living happily, so it seemed more sensible to me to try an experience, a stylistic exercise, that of musical translation. With pianist Frank Woeste, we have ‘transcribed’ into fairly conventional jazz, but one we hope is innovative through its blending, one of the Egyptian diva’s greatest hits: ‘Alf Leila Wa Leila’ (‘One Thousand and One Nights’). These Arabic melodies that we take up, although fundamentally traditional, blend very easily with the harmonies and rhythms of New York jazz. The common point between these two musical cultures is improvisation, and it is on this ground that the dialogue takes place. It is the common denominator that makes exchange possible.” “Recorded and mixed in New York with the same team as the album Wind (2011), which was a tribute to Miles Davis, it was only logical that I should see Kalthoum as a continuation of this beautiful recording adventure with Larry Grenadier (double bass), Clarence Penn (drums), Mark Turner (saxophone) and Frank Woeste (piano).”