Concert by Solisti Lucani & Ensemble Chorale Assalam. A musical bridge between the musicians of Matera and Tétouan, the Moroccan city that shares with Matera the title of Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026. Implemented in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Rabat, Morocco.
After its first stop in Morocco Mediterranean Sounds arrives in Matera, bringing together the two cities that share the title of Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026! On stage, 32 Italian and Moroccan musicians: the 18 string players of MATÈ and Solisti Lucani join the 14 artists of the Ensemble Chorale Assalam, conducted by Samir Bahajin.
The concert is the culmination of a two-week residency between Tétouan and Matera, during which the artists from the two ensembles worked and created together, weaving the strings of the Italian musical tradition with the Arab-Andalusian sounds of the oud, nay, percussion and voices. Conducted by Samir Bahajin, the concert will take the audience on a journey through Morocco’s musical tradition, with a programme focusing primarily on Arab-Andalusian music, one of the country’s most representative musical expressions. Of the three main schools that developed in Morocco, the Tétouan school was chosen, reflecting the city’s deep-rooted connection to this tradition. The programme will also include pieces from Tétouan’s popular music and the chakara tradition.
The repertoire has been specially reimagined for Suoni Mediterranei. Samir Bahajin has reworked the pieces, enriching them with new introductions and musical passages to offer a more contemporary interpretation of music traditionally passed down and performed in its popular form. Said Sanhage then arranged the pieces to incorporate the string orchestra, creating a dialogue between the sound of the Solisti Lucani, Arab instruments and the voices of the Ensemble Chorale Assalam. Performing alongside the Solisti Lucani will be Adile Ellouzi on Arab violin, Hichem Arghbalou on the nay (Arab flute), Yunes Fakhar on the oud, Amin Assofi on the darbuka (Arab percussion), Issam Elbezzari on the tar (Arab percussion), and Chakib Elbezzari on keyboard/synthesizer.
The vocal section of the Ensemble Chorale Assalam will feature seven singers: Souhaila Sahraoui, Firdaous Amrani and Bouchra Echoukri, who will also perform as soloists, together with Hanan Boussellam, Siham Mekaoui, Imad Alami and Moustafa Belkaid.
Artists
Solisti Lucani – Founded in Matera in 2019 and officially recognised by the Italian Ministry of Culture as a “Youth Instrumental Ensemble”, this ensemble of eighteen musicians – violins, violas, cellos and double bass – trains and supports young performers through a repertoire ranging from classical music to contemporary creation and experimentation.
Ensemble Chorale Assalam – A Moroccan ensemble of fourteen artists featuring oud, nay, keyboard, violin, percussion, a solo singer and six choristers, under the artistic direction of Samir Bahajin.
FOLLOW US