Furat (“Euphrates” in Arabic) is a musical project that has recovered old songs by women singers who lived from 1920 to 1960 in the vicinity of the Euphrates River, producing rich masterpieces with a unique and contemporary style for their era. Singer Basma Jabr joined producer and Arabic oud player Muhannad Nasser in a adventure across time and space to release and produce this album. Coupled with Nasser’s unique spirituality, Jabr’s delicate powerful voice created a harmonious duo that takes listeners on an emotional and musical journey through different worlds between Arab music, jazz and flamenco. The group is rounded off by Óscar Antolí on clarinet and kaval, both wind instruments that add a vibrant intensity to the melody. Basma Jabr aspires to continue the work done by those great singers who marked an era. Her music respects and preserves their rich heritage while appealing to contemporary audiences, as well. It all takes us on a unique musical journey that combines tradition and modernity.

Casa Árabe and the Austrian Cultural Forum are once again working together to make cultural connections between Austria and Spain more visible through an East-West hybridization conceived in Vienna. On this Spanish tour, the work will be traveling to Madrid and Cordoba.

In Madrid, the concert will be taking place at the Casa Árabe Auditorium (located at Calle Alcalá, 62) on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. Buy your ticket at the bottom of this page.

In Cordoba, the performance will be held one day later, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 8:00 p.m., at the institution’s Auditorium (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). In this case, there is free entry after registration using this form until the event’s capacity is reached.

Basma Jabr is a Syrian singer based in Austria, where her musical experience was influenced and transformed by various trends and experiences. In addition to her work as a singer in various bands, Jabr has also contributed to theatrical productions and films worldwide. Over the years, Jabr has developed a distinctive style that presents traditional Arabic music in a new and captivating light, ranging through maqam while fusing elements of jazz with contemporary influences. He has always sought to share experiences and knowledge with musicians from different musical backgrounds, which has made his creative work stand out to this day. 

Muhannad Nasser is an Arabic oud player and composer from Syria. He has gained a foothold as an innovative, creative musician with years of experience in the Middle Eastern music scene, as well as extensive experience in teaching Eastern music. His profound desire to share his way of conceiving music led him to create an educational project called “Today Contemporary, Today and Tomorrow Heritage,” with which he earned his Master’s degree at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he performed the musical piece “Mediterranean Sundance” with internationally renowned guitarist Al Di Meola. With solid training at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus, he developed his oud skills while adapting it to different musical genres, such as classical music, jazz, Brazilian music and flamenco.

Oscar Antolí earned a degree in Jazz and Modern Music Studies from the Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña (ESMUC) and holds a Master’s degree in Turkish Music from the Codarts University of the Arts Rotterdam. He shifts between these two musical styles, writing and performing compositions inspired by Mediterranean musical cultures. Born in Tortosa (on the Iberian Peninsula), he is an artist who resides in Vienna and has had the opportunity to play at jazz festivals like those in Tokyo, Athens, Bergen, Tangier, Aarhus, Maastricht, South Tyrol, Scarborough and others.