Al Akhareen

In their musical creation Osloob and Naïssam Jalal present an unusual combination: electrifying hip-hop – rap – with heady flights of melody from the flute. The beats and rhyming lyrics of Palestinian rapper, beatmaker and beatboxer Osloob blend perfectly with the improvisations of Franco-Syrian flautist Naïssam Jalal. The result is a dialogue between two musicians with a seemingly perfect understanding of each other: Osloob the rhyming wordsmith delivers his verses, while Naïssam Jalal, creatively accompanying the MC’s beats, “raps” with her flute. The result is an excitingly bold and precise intermixture of sounds.

An unprecedented musical alchemy, Al Akhareen (“The Others” in Arabic) is conceived as a reflection on otherness. Osloob’s pen and overflowing flow feed off the spontaneity and depth of Naïssam Jalal’s playing.

Alongside these two leading figures, a group of talented and distinctive musicians join the project: Mehdi Chaïb on saxophones and percussion, Viryane Say on bass, Clément Cliquet on drums, and DJ Junkaz Lou on turntables.

On stage, the ensemble blends raw hip-hop, free improvisation, and revisited Arab tradition to create music that is truly unique: deep, poetic rap combined with an unfailing groove assertive and powerful.

Al Akhareen also exists in a more minimalist form: Al Akhareen hip-hop trio, which brings together the duo Osloob and Naïssam Jalal with the exceptional DJ Junkaz Lou.