Wajdi Riahi's story can be read as one of swinging back and forth between Tunisia and Belgium. The first of these took him to Libramont in 2016, where he won a grant and took a course at the AKDT. This enabled him to meet a number of musicians and teachers who would later become partners or friends, although he had no idea at the time that he was truly discovering the world of jazz. Back in his homeland, already with a diploma in Arabic music, he completed his musicology studies while exploring the world of jazz. On completing his studies, he decided to take the decisive step into jazz by enrolling at the Brussels Conservatoire, where Eric Legnini would become his teacher.

In 2020, he was still a student, but his name was beginning to circulate in the Belgian scene. The following year, he launched his own trio, which recorded a debut album. Entitled "Mhamdeya", after the district of Tunis where he grew up, the record touches on his native culture in an underlying way. At the same time, he also became a member of the Aleph quintet, a group whose jazz is rooted in North African music, with the presence of another Tunisian musician, oudist Akram Ben Romdhane.

The trio's second album, Essia, was released at the end of 2023. This album is like a journey between North Africa and Europe, opening with a track on which you can hear the sounds of the medina through which the young Wajdi used to walk to take his music lessons. The Arab musical heritage is fully expressed through the stambeli, ritual music and the Tunisian counterpart of the gnaoua.

Little is known about Arab music, which is often limited to a few names. Legendary singers such as the Egyptian Oum Kalthoum and the Lebanese Fairuz, raï stars such as the Algerians Cheb Khaled and Cheb Mami and instrumentalists such as the Tunisians Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem. Ultimately, little is known about the fundamentals of a music that also draws its sources from the East, sub-Saharan Africa and Andalusia.

Few musicians from the Arab world have made their mark in jazz. Rabih Abou-Khalil and Majid Bekkas have succeeded brilliantly. Wajdi Riahi is following in their footsteps. He will explain the links between Arab music and jazz.

Live

Wajdi Riahi will be performing solo (piano and vocals).