Sharif Sehnaoui is a free improvising guitarist. He plays both electric & acoustic guitars, with (or without) extended and prepared techniques, focusing on expanding the intrinsic possibilities of these instruments without the use of effects or electronics. He now resides in Beirut, his hometown, after more than a decade in Paris, where he started his career as an improviser in 1998, playing at Instants Chavirés where he was a member of several orchestras. He has since performed his music worldwide and played in many clubs & festivals such as Soundfield (Chicago), Moers, Konfrontationen (Nickelsdorf), Météo Music Festival (Mulhouse), Club Transmediale (Berlin), Skanu Mesz (Riga) or Musikprotokoll (Graz).
In Lebanon, he actively contributed to the emergence of an unprecedented experimental music scene. Along with Mazen Kerbaj he created “Irtijal” (www.irtijal.org) in 2000, a yearly international festival that is at the moment the only improvised and new music festival in the Arab world. “Irtijal” celebrated its Xth anniversary in 2010.
He also runs several labels: “Al Maslakh” (www.almaslakh.org) devoted to "publish the un-publishable" on the Lebanese musical scene. “Johnny Kafta’s Kids Menu” (www.johnnykafta.com) an Al Maslakh sub-label dedicated to rock oriented experimentations. And finally, “Annihaya” (www.annihaya.com), focusing on sampling, recycling and the displacement of various aspects of popular culture.
His main groups and projects include the “A” Trio (with Kerbaj & Raed Yassin), BAO (with Kerbaj, Charbel Haber & Tony Elieh), an acoustic guitar solo using exclusively percussion techniques and “Wormholes” an audio-visual performance with Kerbaj drawing live on a glass table.
In Lebanon, he actively contributed to the emergence of an unprecedented experimental music scene. Along with Mazen Kerbaj he created “Irtijal” (www.irtijal.org) in 2000, a yearly international festival that is at the moment the only improvised and new music festival in the Arab world. “Irtijal” celebrated its Xth anniversary in 2010.
He also runs several labels: “Al Maslakh” (www.almaslakh.org) devoted to "publish the un-publishable" on the Lebanese musical scene. “Johnny Kafta’s Kids Menu” (www.johnnykafta.com) an Al Maslakh sub-label dedicated to rock oriented experimentations. And finally, “Annihaya” (www.annihaya.com), focusing on sampling, recycling and the displacement of various aspects of popular culture.
His main groups and projects include the “A” Trio (with Kerbaj & Raed Yassin), BAO (with Kerbaj, Charbel Haber & Tony Elieh), an acoustic guitar solo using exclusively percussion techniques and “Wormholes” an audio-visual performance with Kerbaj drawing live on a glass table.
Trane Prepared acoustic guitar solo from "Old & New Acoustics" http://www.almaslakh.org/catalog_mslkh11.php |
| Reductionism Mazen Kerbaj : trumpet Sharif Sehnaoui : acoustic guitar Recorded at STEIM, Amsterdam. Released on The Wire's Under the Radar Vol.2. |
A Minefield Bicycle Ride Cynthia Zaven : piano Sharif Sehnaoui : acoustic guitar A duo track recorded at Tunefork Studios as part of our work for Sebastian Meissner's 'Not by Note' project http://www.notbynote.net/ |
| Track 16 by "A" Trio Mazen Kerbaj : trumpet Sharif Sehnaoui : acoustic guitar Raed Yassin : double-bass Unreleased track recorded at STEIM in 2007. |
Duo with Michael Zerang Sharif Sehnaoui : electric guitar Michael Zerang : drums From the Zerang duo CD "Cedarhead" http://www.almaslakh.org/catalog_mslkh06.php |
Tomorrow, I'll Make Breakfast by "A" Trio Mazen Kerbaj : trumpet Sharif Sehnaoui : acoustic guitar Raed Yassin : double-bass From the album "Music to our Ears" http://www.almaslakh.org/catalog_mslkh14.php |