Smadj
Biographie Smadj
Jean-Pierre Smadja
Tunisian born, Parisian musician, Jean-Pierre Smadja (Smadj) grew up listening to Oriental, Brazilian, funk, soul, and folk music. Entering a jazz school at the age of 15 due to his intense interest in the guitar, Smadj’s musical development came to be characterized by transforming traditional jazz styles into eclectic sounds. This interest in the mechanics of making music led Smadj to pursue a degree in sound engineering, which led to a fruitful career as a recording & sound engineer for famous classical and folk musicians. Releasing his first album in 1994, it wasnt until 2000 that Smadj became recognized on an international scale for his signature blending of acoustic and electronic sounds on Equilibriste, which would ascend on the European World Music Charts to the number 4 position. In 2002, Smadj joined fellow ud magician, French musician Mehdi Haddab, for a special project that would transport the oud to the 21st century in DuOuD. Supporting their triumph of an album with a 2 year world tour, the album also received 2nd place in the Best Album category at the prestigious BBC World Music Awards. In 2003, Smadj joined master percussionist Burhan Öçal for „Burhan Öçal & The Trakya All Stars featuring Smadj“, the album and the tour was a huge success in Turkey and everywhere and the album is considered as a classic now. In 2004 Smadj released his 3rd album with an English record label Most, his most electronics and more lounge album which involved Talvin Singh, Amit Chatterjee, Rokia Traoré, Mehdi Haddab and Dom Farkas.
The same year he continues his work as a producer album with Laurent de wilde : Stories
In 2005 He released the album "Sakkat" with Mehdi Haddab recorded in Yemen with the Yemeni traditional musicians during a residency duo stopped in Sanaa, fascinated by the unique way of playing the oud Yemeni and poems sung
This is also the year that the fate Smadj 4th album, SOS, installed 3 years in Istanbul, it offers two virtuosos blend their passion to his Turkish experience
In 2008, the third album of DuOuD released by World Village, and 2009 one of Smadj’s dreams come true, the release of his fifth album with Erik Truffaz and Talvin Singh, a trio dedicated to his wife and composed songs instrumental love.
Since then he has worked on traditional and sacred music with his Alevi friend, Cem Yildiz (released in Turkey in March 2010 and 2011 in France)
He also composed a creation „The oud according Smadj" performed in St Denis Basilica in June 2010 including Natacha Atlas , Ibrahim Maalouf, Cem Yildiz, Mehdi Haddab, Alok Verma, a string ensemble, the album is ready .....
Still surprising, released end of 2012, he concocted "Fuck the DJ", his latest album, an ode to dance music where Disco, dubstep, house... played by a boisterous team that aim to cause that dance...
For the season 2013/2014 Smadj was the first resident artist, making modern music, in the Bozar Palace of Bruxelles. An honor and a great challenge. He proposed 4 programs, Stringz quintet, Fuck the Dj, Ballake Sissoko Smadj duet and Smadj and friends with Rokia Traore, Cem Yildiz, Mo Laudi and Ballake Sissoko for the final.
He's finishing his next album Smadj' Spleen which will be released in the beginning of 2015
