Quick Facts
Biography
Dhafer Youssef (Arabic: ظافر يوسف; born 19 November 1967 in Teboulba, Tunisia) is a composer, singer and oud player.
Biography
Youssef developed an interest in jazz at an early age and clandestinely listened to it during his education at a Qur'anic school. He later left Tunisia to start a jazz career and has lived in Europe since 1990, usually in Paris or Vienna. He also works in avant garde and world music where he has been nominated for awards. He has released six albums of his own and also did notable work with Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu and the Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset. He indicates an affinity for the music of India and Nordic music. He was a guest artist on the Norwegian jazz artist Bugge Wesseltoft's album FiLM iNG. Youssef has also performed with Uri Caine, Tigran Hamasyan, Jon Hassell, Markus Stockhausen, Nguyên Lê, Omar Sosa and Hüsnü Şenlendirici. In 2001 he recorded Electric Sufi with the ex-Sugar Hill Gang and Tackhead rhythm section of Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish.
Discography
Solo albums
- 1999: Malak (Enja)
- 2001: Electric Sufi (Enja)
- 2003: Digital Prophecy (Justin Time)
- 2006: Divine Shadows (Jazzland)
- 2007: Glow (Material), with Wolfgang Muthspiel
- 2010: Abu Nawas Rhapsody (EmArcy)
- 2013: Birds Requiem (Okeh) (FR: #191)
- 2016: Diwan of Beauty and Odd (Okeh) (FR: #105)
Collaborations
- 1997: Blue Planet – Peace for Kabul (Blue Flame World Music), with Lenny MacDowell and Hakim Ludin
- 1998: hot ROOM (Extraplatte), also featuring Otto Lechner, Wolfgang Puschnig, Achim Tang
- 2003: Exile (Enja), with Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble feat. Reem Kelani & Dhafer Youssef
- 2005: Odem (with Wolfgang Puschnig and Jatinder Thakur) (EmArcy), with Wolfgang Puschnig and Jatinder Thakur
- 2006: Homescape (ACT), with Nguyên Lê Duos Paolo Fresu
- 2008: Jo & Co (Universal Music Polska), with Anna Maria Jopek feat. Richard Bona and Mino Cinelu
- 2008: Latitudini – Omaggio Alla World Music (Casa Del Jazz), with Paolo Fresu and Eivind Aarset