ABDUALLAH CHHADEH & SYRIANA

Syriana is a musical dialogue between the peoples of the Eastern and Western worlds-about their points of connexion, hopes and fears -of cold war film soundtracks and the yearning for a better future.

60s TV themes, classical and folk songs, from London and Texas to Downtown Damascus.

Think Ry Cooder meeting Fairuz for coffee, Marc Ribot in conversation with Abdel Wahab.

A dialogue of Love, Music, Power and post cold-war Paranoia. Syriana is a trio (though occasionally joined by a percussionist when playing live to become a quartet), it has 3 distinct instrumental voices, Qanun,electric guitar and double bass.

Abdullah Chhadeh is a Syrian Qanun virtuoso from Damascus. Leader of the group Nara, composer, orchestral soloist and recitalist. The Qanun is an Arabic instrument that sounds as mystical and sonorous as the concert harp, as delicate as the virginal and as regal as the harpsicord. Chhadeh's recordings and collaborations have included both solo performances and featured soloist work with Sinead O' Connor, Jocelyn Pook, Natacha Atlas and David Arnold among others.

Dubulah, half Greek, half English, Guitarist, formerly of Transglobal Underground, Temple of Sound, now working under the name Dub Colossus. He has produced written, remixed and featured on many artists recordings and concerts, including Los de Abajo, Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Almamegretta, Cheb I Sabbah, Jah Wobble, Natacha Atlas, The Congos, Enzo Avitabile.

The electric guitar is the distinctive western pop sound of the last 60 years… and Dubulah's approach lends it a new sound that speaks to the Arabic Qanun. From John Lee Hooker to Elvis and the James Bond theme to Asmahan, Abdel Halim Hafez of Egypt and more.

Bernard O'Neill, an Irish Double Bass player. Like a musical Galatian bridge straddling two continents, he has worked with a vast number of well known artists, as well as being a member of Nara with Abdullah.

These include Jeff Buckley, Lorenna Mckennit, Rufus Wainright, Sinead O`Connor, Natacha Atlas. Bernard's technique makes the double bass a very versatile instrument, able to play western and arabic scales, bridging the qanun and the guitar. Syriana is about many levels of music and people, history and politics, sound and identity, joy and sadness, but always with a wry smile on its face.