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Oli Steadman born Johannesburg 1987 and arrived in Oxford UK with his family for father’s sabbatical researching in Oxford during 2003. Halfway thru the year, they were faced with a decision to stay or return to SA by which point brothers Oli & Rob had become immersed in the rich local music scene of Oxford. Members of Stornoway, a successful folk group with sales over 60k copies of its debut LP; world concert tours and major festival billings; they grew into the industry at a turbulent time, embracing new social & mobile technologies, and changed their approach to recording embracing more synthetic & digital layers & DAWs as they progressed through 3 full LPs and a range of experimental EPs, moving between labels 4AD, PledgeMusic and Cooking Vinyl whilst collaborating with some of the biggest names in music - including Bon Iver - and appearing on National TV alongside Jay-Z, Sting, and the Foo Fighters. Oli used his time off between albums 2-3 to explore life as a promoter & booker for Sofar Sounds, founding the Oxford, Birmingham, and South UK branches; then with his own Tigmus agency setting up a digital platform for musicians to book their own concert tours; whilst running his side project folk group Count Drachma, and acting as record producer & manager for several fellow musicians under his SSP label, a hub for pop activity in the Oxford scene. Tigmus now takes up most of his time, and provides the enjoyment of working directly with young & exciting bands. Oli’s interest in folk music is hugely diverse but focusses on that of rural South Africa (his home), the British Isles (inspired at a young age by Rob Young’s book Electric Eden) and the Middle East (Stornoway having dabbled in melodies & instrumentation from Turkey, since their earliest days; even touring with a Qanun and a hammer Dulcimer, taking their notoriety as a complex band to soundcheck… to ever greater heights! The band has gigged in Istanbul on more than one occasion). Photographer: © G Hood 2014
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William South
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A full time musician and composer for over 30 years, there are not many elements of music that William hasn’t worked with. He has had global chart and touring success with his jazz beats project Heavy Shift and critically acclaimed piano driven group The South Trio, composes top flight TV music for many shows (BBCs ‘Hustle’ among many others), was Musical Director and co-composer on smash hit Punch Drunk show The Drowned Man and alongside these bigger projects continues to explore new music all the time, current projects including composing for shows onChannel 4 and SKY, playing improvised piano at numerous dance universities, touring with noted Egyptian music ensemble Oxford Maqan and mentoring his daughter’s hotly tipped urban punk duo Nova Twins.
Media Composing: www.southstonemusic.com Personal Projects: www.williamsouth.bandcamp.com |
Tom Hodgson
Tom Hodgson has been a trumpet player for much of his life, most recently with UK indie folk band Stornoway. He has toured and recorded extensively around the world and performed on the main stages at Glastonbury, Latitude and Green Man.
Aside from performing, Tom co-runs the music startup Tigmus, which uses technology to partner up venues and artists. The platform represents over 1000 artists, 900 venues and has been used to book hundreds of concerts.
And aside from performing and the startup, Tom is also an ethnomusicologist of music and Pakistan at King's College London.
Aside from performing, Tom co-runs the music startup Tigmus, which uses technology to partner up venues and artists. The platform represents over 1000 artists, 900 venues and has been used to book hundreds of concerts.
And aside from performing and the startup, Tom is also an ethnomusicologist of music and Pakistan at King's College London.
Khaled Noori
Khaled Noori began playing the violin twenty years ago. He obtained his degree from the University of the Musical Arts in Kuwait whereupon he was asked to continue at the University as a lecturer in Arabic Music Theory and Oriental Solfège. He was appointed conductor of the Arabic Orchestra at the University of Musical Arts, a post he has held for seven years.
Khaled is an arranger of music and specialises in traditional Arabic and Turkish styles. He also plays the viola amongst other instruments. He has travelled widely, both performing and conducting in various orchestras in Korea, Uzbekistan, Japan, Jordan, Syria.
Khaled attained a Masters degree in Musical Performance from Southampton University and has since returned to his lecturing role in Kuwait and continues to perform and arrange music.
Khaled is an arranger of music and specialises in traditional Arabic and Turkish styles. He also plays the viola amongst other instruments. He has travelled widely, both performing and conducting in various orchestras in Korea, Uzbekistan, Japan, Jordan, Syria.
Khaled attained a Masters degree in Musical Performance from Southampton University and has since returned to his lecturing role in Kuwait and continues to perform and arrange music.
Giles Lewin
Giles Lewin is a British violinist and bagpiper.
He was born in Essex in 1960 or slightly earlier. Aged nine, he sang the female lead in Mozart's "Bastien et Bastienne". At Cambridge University he acquired a love of Irish traditional music. His admiration for William Lawes led him to join a group called The Medieval Players (1981–1987). In 1983 they performed Rabelais's "Gargantua" with actors, puppets and acrobats. Their version of medieval music was gutsy, compared to most early music consorts of the time. In 1987 he became a founder member of the Dufay Collective. He was also a member of the group "Afterhours" (1989–1995).
In 1989 Lewin spent several months in Cairo to study Arabic violin under Ashraf al Sarki. Lewin is a vocalist and plays fiddle, vielle, rebec, gittern, shawms, recorder, mandolin, pipe and tabor. His most remarkable skills are as a player of the Arabic violin and as a player of the single-drone medieval bagpipes.
The Carnival Band evolved out of The Medieval Players. The combination of Giles Lewin, Andy Watts, Bill Badley and Jub dates from 1985. They have recorded as a backing band for Maddy Prior. Lewin joined up with Vivien Ellis, another member of the Dufay Collective and the Carnival Band to become the duo Alva in 1997, specialising in the music of the troubadours. The songs on "The Bells of Paradise" were first performed at the 2003 York Early Music Festival. Alva also performed at St John's, Smith Square in 2001 as part of a live performance for BBC's "Late Junction".
In 2004 Lewin became a founder member of Bellowhead and left in late 2007. In 2008 he accompanied Maddy Prior at the BBC Electric Proms, and released a solo album The Armchair Orienteer (PRKCD103). He is currently based in Oxford.
He was born in Essex in 1960 or slightly earlier. Aged nine, he sang the female lead in Mozart's "Bastien et Bastienne". At Cambridge University he acquired a love of Irish traditional music. His admiration for William Lawes led him to join a group called The Medieval Players (1981–1987). In 1983 they performed Rabelais's "Gargantua" with actors, puppets and acrobats. Their version of medieval music was gutsy, compared to most early music consorts of the time. In 1987 he became a founder member of the Dufay Collective. He was also a member of the group "Afterhours" (1989–1995).
In 1989 Lewin spent several months in Cairo to study Arabic violin under Ashraf al Sarki. Lewin is a vocalist and plays fiddle, vielle, rebec, gittern, shawms, recorder, mandolin, pipe and tabor. His most remarkable skills are as a player of the Arabic violin and as a player of the single-drone medieval bagpipes.
The Carnival Band evolved out of The Medieval Players. The combination of Giles Lewin, Andy Watts, Bill Badley and Jub dates from 1985. They have recorded as a backing band for Maddy Prior. Lewin joined up with Vivien Ellis, another member of the Dufay Collective and the Carnival Band to become the duo Alva in 1997, specialising in the music of the troubadours. The songs on "The Bells of Paradise" were first performed at the 2003 York Early Music Festival. Alva also performed at St John's, Smith Square in 2001 as part of a live performance for BBC's "Late Junction".
In 2004 Lewin became a founder member of Bellowhead and left in late 2007. In 2008 he accompanied Maddy Prior at the BBC Electric Proms, and released a solo album The Armchair Orienteer (PRKCD103). He is currently based in Oxford.
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Mina Mikhail Salama
Mina obtained his Bachelors in Music Education from Alexandria University before going on to teach music in the same faculty. As well as being an experienced multi-instrumentalist and soloist, Mina is also a composer and arranger. Before moving to the UK, Mina spent seven years as Choir coach and Assistant Conductor at the Egyptian Opera House. Now based in the UK, he has joined the Manchester International Roots Orchestra as a soloist. Mina has composed, performed in and arranged several music albums as well as music for film projects in Egypt, Lebanon, Australia, UK, USA and Canada. Mina joins Oxford Maqam as a special guest musician on the ney. |
Farouk El Safi
Farouk El Safi is a master of Arabic drumming (bendir, daf and others). He is best known for his work with Led Zeppelin and many of the greats of modern Arabic music over the last forty years including Wadi el Safi, Talal Madaah, Farid Al Atrache, Warda, Karem Mahmoud, Shafiq Galal, Fayza Ahmed, Sabah and Mohammed Abel Mottalib. He has performed live on countless occasions, including command performances for heads of state in Egypt, Tunisia and Belgium.
Amongst western audiences, Farouk is best known as the bendir/daf player on No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded album and, live for their legendary MTV Unplugged performance. He is the proud owner of a platinum record, given in recognition of his part in the million-plus seller, by the former Led Zeppelin.
Farouk is a classically trained musician, and with a career spanning more than forty years, he still loves to record and perform his music. Farouk still records, directs/plays many Zaffa and other live roles, from his home in London.
Farouk El Safi is a master of Arabic drumming (bendir, daf and others). He is best known for his work with Led Zeppelin and many of the greats of modern Arabic music over the last forty years including Wadi el Safi, Talal Madaah, Farid Al Atrache, Warda, Karem Mahmoud, Shafiq Galal, Fayza Ahmed, Sabah and Mohammed Abel Mottalib. He has performed live on countless occasions, including command performances for heads of state in Egypt, Tunisia and Belgium.
Amongst western audiences, Farouk is best known as the bendir/daf player on No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded album and, live for their legendary MTV Unplugged performance. He is the proud owner of a platinum record, given in recognition of his part in the million-plus seller, by the former Led Zeppelin.
Farouk is a classically trained musician, and with a career spanning more than forty years, he still loves to record and perform his music. Farouk still records, directs/plays many Zaffa and other live roles, from his home in London.
Gokhan Yucel
Gökhan Yücel was born in Istanbul in 1977. His encounter with classical and sufi Turkish music started in the old quarters of the Old City of Istanbul in the mid-1980s. During this same period, he had the opportunity to attend 'meşk' sessions under the supervision of several performers. He became a student in Nezih Uzel's (1939-2012) renowned musician, journalist and author- home sessions .
He learned about classical Turkish percussion instruments such as kudüm, bendir, halile and daire from Uzel in the 1990s. Several Mevlevi ayins and other forms of tekke music were practiced during these tutorials and collective small-group performances (meşk). Old recordings were also anaylsed. Yucel also met late descendants of living sufi schools. While studying journalism in Marmara University (1996-1999) he studied classical Turkish music with Ruhi Ayangil - a Turkish composer, conductor and kanun player.
Gökhan Yücel co-founded Oxford Maqam with Martin Stokes and their first performance was staged with particapation of Lebanese ney player Mahmoud Natout in 2008.
For more about Gökhan Yücel's professional background please see: about.me/gokhanyucel
Dan Glazebrook
Dan Glazebrook is an Oxford-based percussionist and composer. As well as Maqam, he has worked with hip-hop outfit the Big Speakers, Arabesque jazz troupe the Brickwork Lizards and his own soul-punk outfit The Conscripts and is currently working on a new electro-funk project.
Mahmoud Natout
Mahmoud Natout is a founding member of Maqam during its earliest days in Oxford. He plays the nay, a Middle Eastern endblown flute.
He studied this beautiful and ancient instrument for three years at the National Conservatory in Lebanon. Mahmoud is also a doctoral student in Educational Studies.
Mahmoud is a classical nay player but with a contemporary outlook. His repertoire ranges from classic arabic compositions to modern contemporary north african music. He is currently based in Beirut, Lebanon.
He studied this beautiful and ancient instrument for three years at the National Conservatory in Lebanon. Mahmoud is also a doctoral student in Educational Studies.
Mahmoud is a classical nay player but with a contemporary outlook. His repertoire ranges from classic arabic compositions to modern contemporary north african music. He is currently based in Beirut, Lebanon.
