By Aevan Caro
On one laidback evening, the calm ambience of the Diplomatic Quarter’s open-air Khuzama Park was filled with soothing jazz music. In cooperation with the German Embassy and the Diplomatic Quarter General Authority, the German Jazz group, Johannes Bigge Trio, gave the DQ residents and guests a musical treat with their originals and some jazz classics last April 2, 2019.
Dubbed as the German-Saudi Jazz Concert, the trio, headed by Johannes Bigge on piano, Athina Kontou on bass, and Maximilian Santner on drums, also featured Saudi jazz soloist Nawaf.
“It was a big honor to be part of this. We loved the audience whom we felt was very open in appreciating our music,” said Johannes who fell in love with Arabic food and looks forward to coming back.
The jazz trio performed tracks from their albums “Imago” and “Pegasus” and shared the stage with Nawaf who wowed the crowd by belting out an Etta James classic “At Lastî at the beginning of his set. ìWe love Nawafís singing,” said Johannes, “He has a fantastic talent, great stage presence, and unique color in his voice.”
With only a day and a half to rehearse as a group, it did not hinder them to entertain their audience. “It was the harmony among us and the ultimate understanding of our musicality,” according to Nawaf who describes the concert as an experience of his lifetime. “Two different countries, four different musicians, yet we came together like one.”
With this collaboration, music, indeed, is a universal language.
