SeixalJazz 2025 – YAZZ AHMED

British-Bahraini trumpeter and composer Yazz Ahmed brings her distinctive sound to SeixalJazz 2025. Known for blending Arabic and Western influences, Ahmed has been described as the “high priestess of psychedelic Arabic jazz.”

Ahmed’s music draws from her mixed heritage, combining the traditional folk songs and melodies of her Bahraini roots with contemporary jazz and electronic elements. Her breakthrough album “La Saboteuse” (2017) made numerous international “best of” lists and was named Jazz Album of the Year by The Wire magazine.
Her 2019 release “Polyhymnia,” a six-movement suite celebrating inspirational women including Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai, earned her Jazz FM Album of the Year and the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Innovation. The work showcases her ability to create deeply personal yet universally resonant compositions.
Ahmed uses a specially crafted quarter-tone flugelhorn that allows her to incorporate the microtonal scales specific to Arabic music. This unique approach enables her to blur the lines between jazz and electronic sound design, creating what critics call “intoxicating and compelling” music.

Having collaborated with artists ranging from Radiohead to Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ahmed represents a new generation of jazz musicians exploring cultural fusion and musical innovation.

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