Jazz Maqom,
Andrea Romani

Organic fusion between maqom and jazz

Andrea Romani does not seek to "mix" styles artificially, but rather to bring the two worlds into dialogue in a fluid manner.

• Respect for the forms and modes of maqom: he is interested in ancient melodic cycles, microtonal subtleties, and ornamentations specific to the Central Asian tradition.

• Freedom of improvisation from jazz: it brings a way of improvising that does not distort the maqom but opens up the harmonic and rhythmic space.

This results in a deeply modal, yet lively music, with space for collective imagination.

Work on timbres and instruments

Andrea, being a flautist (ney, transverse flute, ethnic flutes), brings a particular color:

• It explores the proximities between the breath of the ney and the voices of the maqom.

• In his JazzMaqom, he likes to combine traditional instruments (ney, tanbur, doira) and jazz instruments (double bass, drums, guitar).

• He also plays on sound textures: sometimes minimalist, sometimes very dense, working on the superposition of timbres.

A poetic and contemplative approach

Andrea is very inspired by the long, meditative forms of maqom (a bit like a "suite" or a "cycle" in contemporary jazz).

• His compositions and improvisations leave room for silence, breath, and slowness.

• He likes music to tell a story, to take time to unfold.

• Sometimes, his JazzMaqom projects flirt with a very contemporary aesthetic, almost chamber music: suspended moments, plays of timbre, fragile textures.

A deeply intercultural and human project

JazzMaqom, under the vision of Andrea Romani, is not just a "musical" project:

• It is also a search for links between cultures (between Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia).

• He often works in residence with traditional musicians to learn from within (notably in Uzbekistan, Iran, Türkiye).

• It promotes oral transmission and the sharing of know-how beyond borders.