Ibrahim Muslimani

Born in Aleppo 1992, Ibrahim was raised in a family that had a great interest in Chanting. His early steps started in 2003 when he began to learn the essentials of percussion and rhythms from his older brother, Mohamad Muslimani. Meanwhile, he joined some chanting groups as a professional Daf player. In 2006, Ibrahim started collecting the musical heritage, both religious and non-religious. He focused on the orally passed down, almost lost musical heritage and the rare Muwashahat, Qudud, Maqamat, rhythms and musical manuscripts and records.

 Ibrahim had a great chance to learn from three of the students of the great Syrian composer Omar Batesh (1885-1950). He learned from the master Hassan Bassal some of the rarest Muwashahat, Qudud, and the Aleppine Al-Samah forms, the embodiment of oriental rhythms using arms and feet, along with the forgotten lyrics and Maqamat series “Hijaz Natık”, which were only known by Hassan Bassal. Ibrahim also learned other Al-Samah forms from the master Fakher Nayyal. He did also take from the master Zuheir Meniny the essentials of the almost lost Rashidi chanting method in Syria, beside several Muwashahat and religious chants. Moreover, Ibrahim learned the essentials of Dhikr chanting and old rhythms form the master Mohamad Fateh Abu Zaid. He got a certificate in the essentials of classical Turkish music from the Directorate of Culture in Gaziantep,Turkey. Ibrahim is still studying the essentials of musical theories, rhythms and maqamat of the Ottoman Music, Oud playing and ethos of music with the master Mohammad Saif Addin Zein Al-Abedin.

Ibrahim Muslimani, a graduate of the Department of Television and Cinema Studies at Gaziantep University, is a co-founder and CEO of “Nefes Institution for Arts and Culture” and was a co-founder and percussionist in Dopamine Band for Oriental Jazz. He also co-founded the Turkish-Syrian band “Hayal” and the duet “Wajd”. Ibrahim is also interested in Daf manufacturing. He made multiple models that were exported to France.

 He participated in many musical workshops and concerts with Arab and international artists such as:

• Accompanying Master Hassan Haffar during his concerts in Syria and Paris 2008-2009.
• The Chris Byars jazz band from New York in Aleppo, 2010.
• The students and teachers of Cale conservatory of France in Aleppo, 2010.
• The Trio Audete from Germany in Aleppo, 2010.
• The “Neela Memory” festival in Aleppo Open Theater/Aleppo Citadel along with the artist Naser Al-Thoumi, 2010.
• The opening ceremony of Gothe institute in Aleppo 2010 with the German musician Roman Bunkau.
• Playing with Salatin Al-Tarab Band in Jarash Festival Jordan, 2011.
• Playing with the Palestinian singer Sanna Musa in Gaziantep,Turkey, 2014.
• Participation in the documentary “When Al-Furat Sings”, Gaziantep, Turkey, 2015.
• Supervising the training of children at “Action for Hope School of Music”, Lebanon 2015-2016.
• Participation in “People Moving” conference in Berlin by an invitation from the German ministry for foreign affairs, 2016.
• Participation in “Landscapes of Hope” festival in Berlin, 2016.
• Supervisor and trainer in the project “İki Dil Bir Nefes” sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with TDP and State Conservatory of Turkish Music, Gaziantep, 2017.
• Art Director of “House of Houses” art project with Nefes for Arts and Culture, Gaziantep, 2018.
• Production Manager of “Qanun without Limits” album, in cooperation with Space of Culture and Nefes for Arts and Culture, 2018
• Chosen as one of ten Syrian refugee figures to tell their stories at the EU photo exhibition “It’s All Very Real – 10 Inspiring Stories of Syrian Refugees… the Real Stories of the People behind the Numbers”, Ankara, Turkey, 2018.
• The main character in the documentary (Wajd – songs of separation), by the Syrian-Canadian director Amar Chebib, 2018.
• Project Manager of Nefes Music School, Gaziantep, 2019.
• Participation in several concerts and events at Gaziantep University, 2014-2019.
• Interviews with several national and international radio and TV programs, newspapers, and magazines. (Radio Doualiya Monte Carlo, Aljazeera Turk, TRT AVAZ, Alquds Alarabi Newspaper, Syrian newspapers and TV channels, etc.)

Nawa Band                                                                         

In 2009, Ibrahim started his own musical project by forming Nawa Band which is concerned with reviving and propagating Muwashahat and Qudud of all forms, religious and non-religious, and documenting Fusool of inherited Dhikr in Syria. Nawa band participated in the following events:

• Concert during the activities of the “Syrian\German Music days” in Aleppo, 2010.
• Concert in “International Gaziantep Pistachio Festival”, 2010, Turkey.
• Concert in “Greeting from Aleppo to the Cities of Syria” at the Roman open theater in Jabla\Syria, 2010.
• Concert under the name of “Fusool from the inherited Dhikr of Aleppo” Aleppo, Syria, 2011.
• Concert in  “The  Francophonie Festival”  in Aleppo, 2011.
• Concert in the festival of “Oriental Spaces” at the second international oriental music meeting, at the Syrian Opera House, 2011, Damascus.

• Released an album: (NAWA – Ancient Sufi Invocations & Forgotten Songs from Aleppo) in cooperation with “Lost Origin Productions” in Washington DC, 2014.

• The final ceremony of “The brotherhood” sport championship by the invitation of the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sport in Gaziantep Stadium, 2016.
• The final concert in the symposium organized by al furkan Foundation entitled “The Art in Light of Objectives of Islamic Law (Maqased)”, 2016, Istanbul.
•  Participation in the documentary (Wajd – songs of separation), by the Syrian-Canadian director Amar Chebib, 2018.
• The final ceremony of “Manuscripts Authentication Courses” organized by: The Institute of Arabic Manuscripts, ISAM, GAUN, and Diyanet Vakfı, Gaziantep, 2018.