Masaa & Sun-Mi Hong Quintet

Central to the multi-lingual lyrics are the poems of singer Rabih Lahoud, who delved into Arabic maqams and the Aramaic vocal tradition while studying in his Lebanese homeland. Lahoud later studied in Germany, where he co-founded Masaa (Arabic for »evening«) in 2012. The band stands for rousing rhythms, gentle trumpet modulations and »a voice full of warmth and pride, which switches between voracious intensity and meditative simplicity« (Jazz Podium). Masaa’s new album is released shortly before the NDR Jazz Concerts.

More poetry follows after the interval, this time from a young percussionist: »Drumming is a wild toy, a pure object that can evoke lots of complex emotions. Sometimes it cries with me, sometimes it screams for me, sometimes it embraces me.« These powerful words by Sun-Mi Hong underline her unconventional thinking. As a child, the South Korean musician was given piano lessons, but her true love was always the drums, which her parents did not let her play for years.

In 2011, she was awarded a place to study jazz in Amsterdam, where she has lived ever since, and developed her quintet into a powerful and exciting band. Sun-Mi Hong writes all the songs herself and has won numerous awards. Her third album will be released on the prestigious London-based label Edition in late 2022 – featuring enthralling jazz with warm brass parts, offering new perspectives for the sound of traditional quintet formations.