Performance: Yazz Ahmed

Yazz Ahmed is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz.

An Anglo-Bahraini trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer, she crafts a soundscape where the musical traditions of the Persian Gulf meet the improvisation, rhythms, and harmonies of
modern jazz. Her deeply personal music draws on her family roots while embracing a wide range of influences, from progressive rock to electronic music.
Nicknamed the “psychedelic priestess of Arab jazz,” Yazz Ahmed has developed an immersive compositional style characterized by enchanting textures, sinuous melodies, and hypnotic grooves. Her compositions invite listeners on a journey through desert landscapes, intimate memories, and contemporary visions of a reinvented cultural heritage. Each piece
becomes a space for dialogue between East and West, tradition and modernity, memory and creation. Having made her mark with albums acclaimed by international critics, she has established herself as a key figure on the British music scene, collaborating with major artists while asserting a resolutely unique musical identity. Her career is marked by prestigious collaborations and commissions for Blue Note Records, Adult Swim, and WOMAD. Yazz Ahmed has received widespread critical acclaim and won several awards for *La Saboteuse* (2017) and *Polyhymnia* (2019). Her latest work continues this exploration of female voices, narratives, and rhythms from the Arab world, through an approach that is as bold as it is poetic.