Walid Mountassir
Born in El Jadida region, he is a singer of Guembri rooted and formed in the moroccan oral transmission school. His traditional formation is the result of the lessons from great masters such as Mohamed Koyo and Mokhtar Gania.
In 2003, he started his professional career as guitarist in “Anonyms”, years after, he moved to Barcelona, he develops his activity as a musician until nowadays.
Then he creates and leads as a singer an guitarist an African Roll project in which he would record his opera prima “Merhaba” (2013)
In 2015, while being in an important search and born from the character of an eager musician, decides to enter to the “Gnaoua” genre, as a singer and playing the guembri, recovering melodies of his roots, joint with a formation which goes far beyond the typical and traditional and offers a folk fusion, contemporary, conserving the traces and pureness of gnaoua essence.
Josafath Larios Vitela
Born in North America, specifically in Mexico City, Mexico, he started the bachelor in Classical Percussion at the `Escuela Superior de Música ́ part the National Art Centre of Mexico (CNA) , under the tutoring of masters Antonio Fuentes and Raúl Tudón.
After some time, he crosses the Atlantic ocean to continue his Historical Percussion studies with Pedro Estevan and Dr. Mauricio Molina, author of “Frame Drums in the Medieval Iberian Peninsula” , at the `Escuela Superior de Música de Catalunya ́ (ESMUC). Already residing in Barcelona and while studying at ESMUC, he starts with lessons on persian percussions, `tombak ́, with Massud Naderi, from Iran, North African percussion with the moroccan Kodari Aziz and also musicology with the scholar Juan Carlos Asensio Palacios, “Schola Antigua” group director.
His endless formation complements with the masterclass on “Medieval Music Interpretation” by Pierre Hamon of France, “Interpretation and Percussion in Contemporary Music” by Kevin
Bobo, from the USA and Nebojsa Zivkovic from
Serbia. Including as well the masterclasses “Flamedrums” and “Jazz Drums” Jarrod Cawgin, drummer and percussionist of the
group “Rabih Abou-Khalil” and Antonio
Sánchez from Mexico, Pat Methany’s
drummer.
Pierre Cabarat
Born in Bourgogne, France, is a multi-instrument musician of self learning tradition with 25 years of musical notes in his back.
At the age of 15, he starts with his guitar and piano studies after 3 conservatory studies years. Always attracted by jazz, at the age of 20, he starts a deep saxophone studies time (tenor, alto and soprano), inspired by the masterpieces of musicians like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Gato Barbieri, among many others.
His versatility has allowed him to participate in projects going from genres like flamenco, latin jazz to arab music, sephardic and sufic.
He belongs to “Jazzenko” group, flamenco jazz focused, active since 2012; he also participates in the co- direction of “El templario y la tarara” play, which has been presented in many theaters and festivals such as “Teatre Plaza Castelldefels”, “Centro de Artes Escénicas de Gavá” and “Sant Boi Jazz Festival”.
Tomás Becket
Jazz pianist, composer and musicologist originally from Barcelona. Although he considers himself a self-taught artist in most of his training, he initially studied jazz piano at ‘Taller de Músics de
Barcelona’ and classical piano with private teachers. He has also
been attending many international jazz courses and seminars
with different teachers, such as Chano Domínguez or Abe
Rabade, as well as some free improvisation courses, with
Agustí Fernández.
He has played jazz with a large number of formations (“Jazz
Connection quintet”, “Julio Mendoza Quartet”, “Cuarteto
Influenciado”, etc.) in several European clubs and festivals.
He has also been a member of some ethnic music groups
such as “Afasa”, a Benin music group led by Kuami
Mensha, or as the Moroccan gnaoua-fusion group
“Kiff Samba”, with whom he has played in Spanish and
Moroccan festivals and venues.
He was the creator of the show "Alrededor de un
cuadro”, with live music, contemporary dance,
painting and lighting, acting regularly within the
Community of Valencia.
In recent years, he has lived in Chile, where he
has played at venues and festivals with his
own formations (Tomás Becket trio) or as a
member of others (Serena Brass, Nelson
Herrera Quartet, etc.).
As a composer, he has made several music
for short films and documentaries (“El
Voto”, “Excusados”, “Flor de Invernadero”,
“Dȯ”, etc.), for puppet shows
(“L’Avetxutxu”), or for advertising.
he is also the author of many jazz
songs, some of which are found in
"Ciao", a self-produced album
published in 2013 by the
BecketGroup.