Samir, Wissam, and Adnan Joubran, accompanied by Youssef Hbeisch on percussion, have been enchanting their audiences through “oudic” virtuosity since 2004. Captivating local and international listeners with unparalleled and innovative compositions played on their handmade ouds by master luthier Wissam Joubran, they seek musical change and growth, influencing the global cultural scene with their unique sound.
Their repertoire is filled with magnificent improvisations and rich, subtle melodies. Music only has meaning to them as a trio. For these natives of Nazareth who come from a long line of luthiers, it is about the perpetuation of a tradition – a tradition that they have deeply renewed by their innovation on the oud, this solo instrument around which they have so wonderfully united as an ensemble.
For over a decade, Trio Joubran accompanied the late poet Mahmoud Darwish on stage and later created a magical pairing between their music and his poetry in the album Fi Thil al-Kalam, In the Shadow of Words. They have been recognized regionally and internationally. Their musical journey transcends a specific category with collaborations with internationally renowned artists, composers, and producers such Indian composer and producer A.R. Rahman (Academy Award winner for Slumdog Millionaire), Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, Tunisian vocalist Dhafer Yousef, and American heavy-metal band Metallica. Their trio albums include Randana (2004), Majaz (2007), Fi Thil al-Kalam (2008), Asfar (2011), and The First 10 Years (2013); they have also produced four solo albums and music for theater production.
Trio Joubran have performed at sold-out shows at New York’s Carnegie Hall and at the Olympia Theatre and the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, the European Parliament, and the United Nations, and at opera houses around the world in such cities as Muscat, Cairo, and Paris. They have performed at WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance), The International Festival of Carthage, Tetouan International Oud Festival, Holland Festival, Paléo Festival, and the Dubai International Film Festival. In October 2016, in cooperation with their cultural partner Bank of Palestine, Trio Joubran held a marathon concert, where they played for 12 hours non-stop to raise funds for a mobile clinic in rural Palestine that offers breast-cancer screening.
They are recipients of the Muhr Award from the Dubai International Film Festival, the Arab Creativity Award from the Arab Thought Foundation, the Ziryab Music Award from the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and UNESCO’s National Music Council, the State of Palestine Arts’ Award, and The Order of Merit and Excellence, presented by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. They are also composers of film music for award-winning and Oscar-nominated films such as Five Broken Cameras, and The Last Flight.
From liberated improvisation to a trio command of the oud strings, the three brothers take us on a spiritual journey that draws us into an emotive dance of body and soul.
