Mohammad Aman Yusufi

Mohammad Aman Yusufi (vocals & tambura) is the leading representative of Afghan music in Belgium. An accomplished singer and musician, hired by the Afghan National Radio and Television at the age of 18, he became famous in Afghanistan. But upon the arrival of the Taliban to power in 1996, he was forced to flee to Pakistan, where being a musician continued to earn him threats, up to months of imprisonment. Forced to flee again, he finally arrived in Belgium in 2007, in Antwerp. He was recruited to join the Refugees For Refugees musician collective, later renamed Refa, initiated by Muziekpublique in 2015. Finally, he can practice his profession, despite exile, despite being far from his loved ones and his culture. His songs take us through the immense landscapes of his country and plunge us into age-old traditions. -- He will be accompanied by Simon Leleux on percussion, a specialist in the doholla and derbouka. Simon Leleux learned from many great masters including Levent Yildirim, who guided his doholla practice towards a melodic soloist approach. He co-founded the projects Auster Loo and Spëcht, both acclaimed by critics and the public. A great educator, he has taught at the Conservatory and the Muziekpublique academy for many years, participating in the spread of knowledge around the derbouka and Middle Eastern music in Belgium and building bridges between cultures. A summit meeting not to be missed!