09 Sep Yazz Ahmed returns to Portugal in October for concerts at the Jazz ao Centro and Seixal Jazz festivals
A leading trumpeter and composer of London’s new jazz scene, Yazz Ahmed brings her latest album, A Paradise In The Hold, to Portuguese stages. On October 16, she will appear as a guest of Jazz ao Centro, performing at the Convento São Francisco in Coimbra. The following day, Seixal Jazz hosts her talent at the Fórum Cultural. Tickets for both concerts are already on sale.
Through her music, Yazz Ahmed seeks to blur the boundaries between jazz and electronic soundscapes, weaving in the influences of her British-Bahraini heritage into a style described as “intoxicating, alluring psychedelic Arabic jazz.”
For the first time, she introduces lyrics in both English and Arabic, with contributions from acclaimed artists Natacha Atlas and Brigitte Beraha. A Paradise In The Hold, her fourth studio album, is filled with powerful interpretations that narrate the heroic journeys of pearl divers, while also reflecting Yazz Ahmed’s own journey of self-discovery. It is a work deeply rooted in the ancestral rhythms of Bahrain and a tribute to the strength of Arab women.
Returning to Portugal, the gifted trumpeter will perform live with her quartet, featuring Ralph Wyld (vibraphone), David Manington (bass guitar), and Jonathan Davis (drums).
“My fourth album is inspired by the unique, secular folk music of my native Bahrain — where the melancholy songs of pearl divers contrast with the celebratory music of female percussion groups traditionally heard at weddings and festivities. A thread running through my work has always been to search for, establish, and now celebrate my cultural identity,” explains Yazz Ahmed.
MORE INFORMATION
📍 October 16 – Coimbra
Jazz ao Centro – International Jazz Encounters of Coimbra
Venue: Convento São Francisco, Sala D. Afonso Henriques
Time: 9:30 PM
Tickets: €10.00 | Ticketline
📍 October 17 – Seixal
Seixal Jazz
Venue: Fórum Cultural do Seixal
Time: 10:00 PM
Tickets: €12.00 | BOL
