Jacco Muller and Victor Ghannam
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Jacco Muller and Victor Ghannam

Chicago, Illinois, United States | SELF

Chicago, Illinois, United States | SELF
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"cd Viento del Desierto"

Mihrab Records Jacco Müller & Victor Channam : Viento del Desierto (NL,2009)****



This is a combination of two talents, led by Jacco Müller, flamenco guitarist and accompanied by self taught oud player Victor Ghannam. Victor Ghannam’s style therefore combined ideas from the Middle East with jazz fusion and flamenco and beyond, a style which you can hear immediately swinging a bit in between all that, developing the flamenco themes with fusing ideas from the Middle East and styles most suitable for the oud. Jacco Müller studied classical, jazz and pop guitar but finished his degree of flamenco guitar under direction of Paco Pena. The cooperation is truly rewarding and comes over as a live meeting point between two masters of a style improvising with each others ideas (the call and responses are especially flamenco guitar themes that are transformed into oud parts) or playing compositions together, with some subtle Middle eastern (Arab and Persian?) or Andalusian percussion (bells or hand clapping natures or Middle Eastern instruments mostly). The first and last track features a female singer bridging Arab and flamenco areas with her singing. Jacco Müller chose style formats (tangos, zambras, bulerias, taranta, tientos,a legrias) thart were able to cross the bridge easily. A very enjoyable performance



Previous records of Jacco Müller : flamenco guitar: “Imagines de la Laz” (1998,), compositions for flamenco guitar, cello and piano: “Laberinto” (2000), “Silueta”(2002), symphony and chamber music ensemble music on “masterworks of the new era” by Bulgarian National Orchestra (2003) and by Kiev Philharmonic (2004), cello/guitar on"Silueta" by Jacco Müller & Artur Trajko and “Orchestral music of Jacco Müller” (2009). - Radio Show Psyche Folk


Discography

"Viento del Desierto" - Jacco Müller & Victor Ghannam
2009 - Mihrab Records

01. Viento del Desierto (tangos) - 10:18
02. Vida & Sultana (zambra) - 10:37
03. Ziryab (bulerias) - 9:32
04. Oscuridad (taranta) - 10:41
05. Luna Llena (tientos) - 5:15
06. Caravana (tangos) - 8:49
07. Oasis (alegrias) - 7:23
08. Libertad - 6:20

Featured Artists:
Jacco Müller: Flamenco Guitar -- Victor Ghannam: Oud -- Doris Farhat: Vocals -- Omar Al Musfi: Darbuka, Frame Drum, Riq -- Timo Lozano: Cajon -- Vida Peral: Palmas -- Doug Brush: Drums, Udu, Surdo, Caxixi
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" Palace of Dreams" - Jacco Müller & Victor Ghannam
2012 - Mihrab Records
1 Angel Azul
2.Patio de los Leones
3.Palace of Dreams
4.Wandering Nomads
5.Velvet Moonlight
6.WaHee
7.Spirits of the Night
8.Ro’oya
9.Old Snake Boots
10.Turquoise Sky
11.Raq’s Al Sultan .
12.Mirador de Daraxa
13.Dusty roads
14.Reflections
15.Silver Moon

Featured Artists:
Jacco Müller: flamenco & electric guitar
Victor Ghannam: oud, qanoun & electric oud
Omar Al Musfi- darbuka, drums, riq & frame drum
Usama Baalbaki- vocals (track 15)
Chiara Mangiameli- vocals (track 1,3 & 15)
Vida Peral- palmas (track 1,2,3 & 11), vocals (track3)
Nidal Ibourk- vocals (track 3 & 5)
Timo Lozano- cajón (track 1)
Gursharan Yash Sandhu- Indian tablas (track 15)

Photos

Bio

Since 2009 Victor and Jacco are performing and recording
their unique blend of flamenco and Middle Eastern music.

Bio Victor Ghannam:
Victor Ghannam is a self taught musician who has performed throughout North, Central, and South America on a variety of instruments, mainly the Oud and Qanun. He began his musical life at the age of 4 and was soon brought along to display his skills at many local events. A veteran of the stage, he has toured with many of the leading recording artists of the Middle East and is most recognized for his dazzling improvisational taqasim which can be romantic passion, technical brilliance, creative adventure, and intense emotion.

With a variety of performing experience and involvement in projects as diverse as Jazz fusion, Rock and Roll, Flamenco/Belly Dance choreography, among many, his versatality and ease of crossing musical genres is proven. As a session musician, he was a featured artist on many episodes of Xena, Warrior Princess and Hercules, Legendary Journeys, among the most successful syndicated programs in television history.

Victor continues to perform and strives to grow as a messenger of peace and goodwill through musical interpretation. Born in America to Palestinian immigrants, Victor happily resides with his wife Sultana in the state of Michigan and lives his life with an appreciation of all things bestowed upon humanity.

Bio Jacco Muller:

Jacco Müller began training in classical, jazz and pop guitar at the age of 11 in the Netherlands, his homeland. In 1995 he completed his degree at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music specializing in flamenco guitar under the direction of Paco Peña.
In 1998 Jacco produced his debut solo album,
“Imagenes de la Luz”. As composer for flamenco guitar, cello, violin and piano he then produced 2 albums of original works (and scores): “Laberinto” (2000), “Silueta” (Centaur Records, 2002).
Performing, teaching and accompanying flamenco dance has sent him to France, Belgium, Germany, Venezuela, South Africa, Curacao, Canada and the United States.

Two of Jacco's compositions "Shadow of a Dancer" and "Mirage", composed for symphony orchestra and chamber music ensemble, were awarded with the Masterworks Prize and included in CD volume one and four of ERM Media’s compact disc series “Masterworks of the New Era” - Recorded by the Bulgarian National Orchestra (2003) and the Kiev Philharmonic (2004), conducted by Robert Ian Winstin.
In January 2009 the double cd:
“Orchestral Music of Jacco Müller” was released
by ERM Media, 8 orchestral works recorded by:
the Czech Philharmonic, Kiev Philharmonic, Prague Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Bulgarica and the Kiev Chamber Choir.
In September 2007 Jacco was awarded Honorable Mention for his composition "Sagrada Familia" in the 2007 JoAnn Falleta Composition Competition (Buffalo, New York) for Classical Guitar.
In the summer of 2009, Jacco produced/recorded and composed eight new works to bring together the Spanish world of Flamenco Guitar and the Middle-Eastern Oud (performed by Victor Ghannam), resulting in his 2009 release, Viento del Desierto. The song "Libertad" (from the "Viento del Desierto"album) has won an Honorable Mention in the World
Music Category in the 2010 International Songwriting Competition (ISC).
Jacco divides most of his time between Chicago and Amsterdam with his wife,Flamencodancer/teacher/choreographer Vida Peral.