Le Trio Joubran Arabic Oud Journey and "The long march" album Review

Arabic Oud (called also Arabic lute) is a short-necked, a pear-shaped instrument that is very similar to a lute, whose origins go back several thousand years. It has come to be a central feature to the music of the Arab world, Iran and Turkey, and talented musicians such as Le Trio Joubran, Marcel Khalife, Charbel Rouhana and others, have expanded its possibilities greatly.

Le Trio Joubran

Oriental lute players for some, Arabic guitar players for others, regardless of definition: Le Trio Joubran is three Palestinian oud playing brothers (Samir, Wissam and Adnan Joubran). They belong to a family steeped in Arabic music that originally hails from Nazareth. Together, They have been touring the world playing traditional Palestinian music with their ouds for the past 15 years. They have released eight albums and many film scores. For their album, AsFâr, they teamed up with oud player and singer Dhafer Youssef.

In Arab origin, the Oud (Arabic lute) is considered the king of all instruments, and these brothers are oud maestros and innovators who form a trio, a rare thing in oud music, play a superb fusion of Arabic music and global music influences. They are the world’s best-known Palestinian musicians by developing a unique, intuitive style that allows the Arabic lute to be used in complex compositions ranging from atmospheric pieces to rapid-fire improvisation.

Through their mesmerizing songs, the three brothers try to portray the suffering of the Palestinian people, and they see their music as part of the Palestinian people’s effort for recognition. Their longstanding and determined commitment has made them a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance, so they have won several prominent awards, including the International Award for Palestine in 2013.

The delicacy and depth of their playing, their interactions and improvisations are essential elements of their music. They have taken the Arabic instrument to new horizons with bravura – both in terms of playing technique and geographically. In the hands of these three musicians, the oud travels, flies, breathes, and with it all those who are exposed to it.

le trio joubran “The long march” album

Le Trio Joubran’s sixth album “The long march”, by partnering with Roger Waters “the former Pink Floyd legendary singer”, is heavy with the legendary Arabic poet Mahmoud Darwish’s influence where Darwish’s timeless words meet the Their sound in a spellbinding and beautiful union. It contains 9 songs, starts with “Time Must Go By”, in which part of a poem by Darwish and is read by him. It continues with a passionate song from Mohammad Motamedi and few instrumental tracks: The Hanging Moon, The Trees We Wear, Our Final Songs.

It also contains ” Carry the Earth” song, which is dedicated to honour the struggles and oppression of indigenous peoples around the world and, at the same time, wishing to pay homage to four teenagers killed while playing football on a beach in Gaza and lost their dreams whilst playing football. The title of this song is from a poem by the poet Darwish – “the dead who die to carry the earth after the relics are gone”.

The album was produced by Parisian producer Renaud Letang, who has worked with everyone from Jean-Michel Jarre to Bjork, at the Studio Ferber in Paris. The three musicians chose to add more instruments for “The long march” like piano, flute, keyboards, strings and an array of voices, though the exquisite oud work doesn’t need all the added instrumentation. However, Joubran brothers consider their sixth album “The long march” a turning point, a new direction in their musical convictions. You can listen to “The long march” album on Spotify.

You can play Oud journey playlist here: