Tamaas Festival at The Arts Center NYUAD to amp up global sounds
- Last updated: February 12, 2025 | 22:37
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host the Tamaas Festival, an event that celebrates the fusion of traditional and contemporary global sounds, inspiring the new name, meaning Contact (Feb. 13). Artists from around the world will take the stage for their UAE debut performances, highlighting different cultures, styles, and genres. The fest takes off with an open-air concert at The East Plaza, NYUAD (7pm to 10pm), featuring two performances that aim to push the boundaries of musical conversation. Afro-Cuban sensation Cimafunk will perform his signature blend of Afro-Cuban funk and hip-hop music that draws experience from his heritage as a “cimarron”, or Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery.
Joining Cimafunk is KOKOKO!, an electrifying electronic duo from the Democratic Republic of Congo who challenge traditional musical perceptions of African bands with experimental electronic sound, built on DIY instruments made from repurposed materials. The second concert takes place in The Black Box from (10pm till midnight), where pioneering Egyptian DJ Abosahar will take centre stage. Often referred to as the “King of Trobby Music”, Abosahar will share his passion, creativity and cultural heritage, through a fusion of electro shaabi (mahraganat) and personalised soundscapes.
Rounding out the lineup will be Aïta Mon Amour with their updated interpretation of ancestral Moroccan popular music. The act is composed of Widad Mjama, a pioneer of female rap in Morocco and a member of the duo N3rdistan, and Khalil Epi, a major figure in the electronic and contemporary Arab music scene. Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center, highlighted the festival’s broader significance: “Tamaas Festival embodies our mission to bring artists from diverse backgrounds to our stage, fostering cross-cultural exchange and celebrating artistic innovation. These performances are not just live shows; they are also conversations between cultures, and the communities who live in the UAE, reimagined through music.”
The festival also features the NYUAD Night Souk (4-10pm), with 40 retail vendors offering locally made artisan products, including handmade soaps, candles, local artwork, jewellery, home décor, and pottery. Offstage events include Artist Talk: Finding a Voice Between Tradition and Contemporary (Feb. 11); and Music Workshop: The DIY Approach of KOKOKO! (Feb. 12); and Music Workshop: Afro Cuban Workshop with Cimafunk (Feb. 12).
“I can’t wait to arrive in Abu Dhabi and share my music with the people of UAE. My band I have prepared a very special set and we’re bringing some really special Cuban Funk to the Tamaas Festival. This is my first time performing in the Middle East and I know it’s going to be life-changing experience,” said Cimafunk, whose real name is Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodríguez. “I’m excited to debut in the UAE and bring the sound of Trobby to a new audience. My music is more than just sound; it’s my life-story translated into melodies and rhythms. Performing live is where I feel most at home, and I’m eager to see how the energy of the UAE will blend with the spirit of Trobby. I can’t wait to create a connection that transcends borders and makes people feel good,” Abosahar said.
Cimafunk is a Grammy-nominated, Afro-Cuban rock star, whose live show is a celebration of groove and unforgettable sonic and bodily experiences. His name refers to his heritage as a “cimarrón”, Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to his music that subverts classical Cuban rhythms with innovative mixes of funk, afrobeat and hip hop. Cimafunk has received overwhelming praise as one of today’s reputed showmen, performing an electric live show with La Tribu, his 9-member band from Havana, redefining contemporary Cuban music as well as Afro-Latin identity and the fusion of Black cultures. His latest album, El Alimento, was nominated at the 2023 Grammy Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
KOKOKO! exploded onto the electronic music scene in 2018 and quickly rewrote the usual Western narrative of what electronic music is and, more importantly, what “world music” isn’t. The band’s colourful approach through wild, uncontrollable sounds and instruments, rapidly tore through any perception, pre-condition, and performance of African bands of the past. They currently focus on the nighttime atmospheres of Kinshasa, pushing everything from the equipment to the sound system, to their limits.
Abosahar from Egypt, often referred to as the King of Trobby Music, is a celebrated musician and award-winning DJ. From the heart of Upper Egypt to international stages in Europe and beyond, Abosahar’s music draws inspiration from his upbringing in El Minya. Embedded in Egyptian DIY culture, his pioneering approach led him to utilise unconventional methods, such as an outdated computer and cracked software, to pioneer Trobby Music - which established him as a leading innovator in Arab music.
Aïta Mon Amour from Morocco offers a new interpretation of an ancestral Moroccan popular music. Aïta is rooted in the country’s rural areas, sung by women singers who are the custodians of a centuries-old tradition. Widad Mjama is one of the first rappers in Morocco. Tunisian-born producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Khalil Epi is classically-trained (Arab music and Jazz), and learned heritage popular and traditional sounds from different cultures with his father, curator of Tunisia’s national sound archives. Presenting music, theatre, dance, film and interdisciplinary performances, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi is a performing arts centre that presents professional artists from around the world alongside student, faculty, and community productions.