ACT Night: Dhafer Youssef “SHIRAZ”
From his early training in the Sufi traditions of Tunisia to becoming one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, Dhafer Youssef has long transcended the boundaries between genres, blending jazz, world music, and spiritual exploration. His sound fuses Arabic musical traditions with modern influences and has led him to collaborate with international luminaries such as Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, and Eivind Aarset. Shiraz (2025), Dhafer Youssef’s first ACT album as a bandleader, is an intimate journey of love, gratitude, light, and shadow. Dedicated to his wife Shiraz Fradi, the album reflects their close relationship and shared life path. On Shiraz, Youssef’s oud is treated as a chamber instrument, while his voice takes on hymn-like passages and delicate falsetto, dialoguing with trumpet, piano, bass, drums, and Nguyên Lê’s guitar and sound design. Dhafer Youssef will be at Zorlu PSM Turkcell Platinum Stage on October 7 as part of the ACT Night series, presented within the framework of the 36th Akbank Jazz Festival's collaboration with ACT Music.
Dhafer Youssef: Oud, vocals
Daniel Garcia: Piano
Mario Rom: Trumpet
Swaeli Mbappé: Bass guitar
Tao Ehrlich: Drums