Orquestra Arab de Barcelona is a band firmly rooted in Catalonia, a region of Spain that has a very large Arabic population. Although their music is based on traditional Arab sources, specifically from Moroccan and Andalucian cultures and the Sufi traditions, it is also influenced by world music, jazz and other types of Mediterranean music. But it is the Catalan connection that is the strongest. Leader Mohamed Soulimane, originally from Chefchaouen, Morocco, often speaks to local audiences in fluent Catalan. Furthermore, two of his band mates, Jordi Gaig and Joan Rectoret, are native Catalans. The band exemplifies the fact that Barcelona has absorbed Arabic culture to such extent that it's now just another facet of Spain's cultural kaleidoscope. The band's new album, Maktub (Destiny), features Paco Ibánez, Omar Sosa and Sergio Ramos (former drummer of Ojos de Brujo).