On December 7, 2019, at Rabat’s National Library and the Jazz Association 3/4 will present the musical project Yalla. The album is the brainchild of Belgian pianist Jean-Philippe Collard Neven and Moroccan oud player Nasser Houari. Through improvisation of Arabic classics such as Mawlid Annour by Mohamed Abdelwahab and Longa Farahfaza by Riad Al Sumbati, they explore the sounds of East vs West. The piano represents western classical history and the oud has a center-stage position in the Arab, Greek, Armenian, and Azerbaijan cultures.
Nasser Houari is a composer and oud player. He received his musical education at the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse de Rabat. Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven teaches music and improvisation at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Mons. His resume includes performances with the Namur Chamber Orchestra, Art Zoyd, and the Lille Philharmonic Orchestra. He has released several albums.