Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla
Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla plays instrumental electronic music, performing his keyboard instrument in a wild and virtuoso style known in Mauritania as WZN, which simply means "music" or "instrumental music" in Arabic. Born into a family with a musical tradition (his father is a famous tidnit player in the Traza region), he has become one of Mauritania's best-known keyboard artists. He plays at lavish weddings in the capital, where he is also famous for his theatrical performance style: he often plays the instrument with his elbows or head to make the melodies even more expressive. Mauritanian wedding music, which is also exciting international pop music. If you like Omar Souleyman, this is the place for you!
Schedule
Lowla's 2019 album Terrouzi offered a vision of the future of Mauritanian WZN. Ahmedou's music exploits every plastic sound of the digital synthesizer, accompanied by programmed electronic drum beats and snaps. His style is difficult to classify: he transforms ancient melodies into baroque musical outbursts, while playing almost guitar-like solos over the characteristic microtonal inflections of WZN. Ahmedou is not content with preserving tradition – he boldly draws on the tools of international pop music, creating anachronistic yet mesmerizing pieces that range from the slow R&B hits of the nineties to deep bass boom bap and minimalist trap. He is an outstanding creator among the ranks of synthesizer musicians from the Sahara.
House of Music Hungary
A music education centre and concert venue in the heart of the City Park, behind the airy futuristic glass facade of Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto.
