DuOud

DuOud consist of two oud-playing Parisians who combine their North African heritage with the latest in Western technology. Smadj is Tunisian by birth and trained as a jazz musician and sound engineer. His collaborator is master oud player Mehdi Haddab who was born in Algiers. He spent time in Burundi, Central Africa, before settling in Paris. He is also a third of the Parisian based trio Ekova, who specialize in the sort of global-meets- electronic-fusion that thrives in Paris. North African musicians are proving to be amongst world music's most exciting pioneers: Khaled's pop-rai synthesis has made the Algerian Elvis a superstar. DuOud are the latest North African sensation to prove that tradition and technology can mix and match to create a sound full of possibilities. DuOud never engage in the world fusion cliché of playing over a thudding house beat. Instead, they build a musical cycle that looks both to African roots while absorbing elements of contemporary French music - break beats, jazz grooves and metal guitar are all invited to join the party.