Music & Life, by Abdallah Harati

I like to call our collaboration (collab) videos, particularly done during the pandemic, as Co-Videos. The name fits! Here you have the background of my creations, why and how I've done it. Fantastic collaboration with Mestre Boca Rica, Catherine Bent, Jana Crivelli, Marina Fonseca and others and the result is in my YouTube channel. 

In this episode I am sharing how it feels to play to a foreign audience, and even more, whenever the non-Brazilians want to play or sing Brazilian music. I will mentioned about my experiences in Central America - particularly in Guatemala and Mexico - as well as in Vietnam. In Europe, I will refer to my great friend and musician Marco Ruviaro and the italian flute player Barbara Piperno. Also, a reference to any guitar player, Fernando de La Rua. Hope you enjoy!

In this episode I will share some life reflections after waking up with half of my face paralysed and how that impacted my creativity and my music. Sometimes, or quite often, to walk fast we need to walk slow.

In this episode I had the opportunity to interview a friend, dancer and business colleague Katja Einola. She will tell us about her nomad spirit and the need of experiencing new cultures and countries. She will tell us about her music influence and particularly the importance of dance, as she is a trained ballet dancer. Combined with her studies, she will share fantastic observations about the need of art for the human kind today.

In this episode I will tell you about my rational to start playing the clarinet. I will refer to the music genre I've decided to use as my school - Choro - as well as my root and my continuous learning in the EPM (Escola Portátil de Música) in Rio de Janeiro, which is now remotely. I will mention the bases coming from Pixinguinha and my clarinet references as Abel Ferreira, Proveta and Paulo Moura.

In this episode I will tell you about the next EP (extended play record), which is a small compilations of songs from Dilermando Reis. Dilermando is a reference for all Brazilian guitar players, as he has composed and performed fantastic tunes from the most famous composers in Brazil, like Pixinguinha and Ernesto Naazareh. I will also tell you about my grandparents. My grandad, who played with Dilermando and my grandma, who was always emotional when I played one of Dilermando's waltz to her. The EP will be released soon and once I have it out, I will update this description with the links. Stay tuned!

In this episode I will tell you about my guitars and why I have few of them. From my first Yamaha, to Fransisco Munhoz, Gérman Perez, Raimundo Saraiva and Regis Bonilha. I will tell you about the sounds of the classical seven strings guitar and the traditional one, from Dino Sete Corda. And last, the sound of the very special eight string guitar in one of my compositions.

In this episode I will tell you about the way I produce songs, covering composition, arrangement, recording, editing, mixing, distribution and marketing. I will also share the equipment and software I use (Focursite, PreSonus, Reaper, Pro Tools, Rode, DPA) , my thinking process and what I've learned by my own mistakes.

In this episode I will tell you about the songs I've released till today, March 19th, 2021, since the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a hectic year for everyone but we can always learn and do something about it. I've decided to really get myself in the digital world of music, with extensive production. You can find my songs here: https://abdallahharati.com/links.

In this episode I will tell you about my music time in my hometown São Paulo. I've met Roberta Valente, who introduced me to several people. Bisdré, great friend and guitar player, and then one of my ensembles there with Agnaldo Luz and Gustavo Candido in Grajaú. Also, the fantastic Roda de Choro in Capão Redondo under the Aroeira tree, with my great friends Sergio Lima, Moisés Romão, Bob Mendes, Vavá and Gallo, with his fantastic samba Nego Véio.

In this episode I will tell you about my several trips to Barcelona and the fantastic musicians I've met there. Marco Ruviaro introduced me to Zé Luiz, who open several doors and connected me with amazing people like Boca Rica, Ramiro Pinheiro and Bruno Butenas. I had a chance to introduce Brazilian music to several people all over the world who never experienced an authentic Roda de Samba and Roda de Choro.

In this episode, I've interviewed Ahmed El-Salamouny (https://brazilianguitar.de/, info@brazilianguitar.de), an exceptional Guitarrist from Germany, who is passionate about Brazilian music. And not only that, Ahmed is also a business coach (https://www.creativeteamcoaching.com). He will share with us his guitar journey, passion about Baden Powell and Bossa Nova, his corporate workshops and master classes, which is a full experience in Brazilian music.

Bossa Live Tutorial on 6th of march at 18:00: https://youtu.be/ccCTknlo-MU

In this episode I will tell about my experience about Choro and Brazilian Music in Europe. I will talk about my great friends Marco Ruviaro (guitar and mandolim player), Barbara Piperno (flute player), Fred Henning (mandolim player), Cristiano Fischer (guitar player) and Vinicius Baxo (percussionist and Capoeira teacher). Also, the fantastic Bavaschoro! Roda de Choro in Munich, Stuttgart, our Choro "kind of" festivals in Italy and Konstanz will be also mentioned there. 

In this episode I will tell you about the time I’ve lived in Dubai, U.A.E, where I had the pleasure to be part of a World Percussion group, with people from Morocco, Ghana, India and few other places. My exposure to Indian traditional percussion, very much related to Shakti, Ghana drums and Morocco, particularly from Marrakesh and Gnawa music was amazing. And top of that, I still had the honor to join a classical guitar orchestra and start a samba school.

In this episode, I will tell my experience living two years in Hanoi, Vietnam and how music was made there. Quite interesting that I've managed to keep Forró, Choro and Samba well active in very different environments. Brazilian music is well propagated and it always surprises me how. I had a chance to exchange Pixinguinha with an unexpected person from the Nordics and also played in a fantastic hotel in Hoi An. Stay tuned!

In this episode I will tell you about my return from Sweden to Brazil and straight to Rio de Janeiro. Although I have been playing Choro my entire life, this was an important milestone for me to finally decide that Choro is my "school" in music. I will tell you about several Rodas de Choro, Rodas de Samba, my teacher Mauricio Carrilho, my references Luciana Rabello, Raphael Rabello and the fantastic Álvaro Carrilho. EPM - Escola Portátil de Musica (Portable School of Music), the Choro school in Rio was the place I've started and it was simply remarkable.

In this episode I will tell you the impact of Capoeira in my life, how it has shaped me and became my life philosophy. The heavy influence of Baden Powell, his song Berimbau, my travels around the world with the different groups, starting with Mestre Teo from Cambaringue, Mestre Terra from Meninos da Bahia, Trovoada, Mestre Tizil from Baluarte and finally Jana Crivelli, my great friend and partner in few of my recordings today.   

In this episode I will tell you about my second trip to Europe and perhaps the most influential in my life. Lots of Capoeira and Samba and the opportunity to meet with fantastic people. Not only that, but a life experience in the social development of Scandinavia and the opportunity to really get exposed to percussion, which only adds to anyone as a musician, whether you play guitar, piano or sing. Mentions to my great friend Lars Galsgaard!

In this episode I will tell about my adventures in Granada, the first city I've visited in Europe and that was all led by my Flamenco passion. I will speak about Paco de Lucia, Emilio Maya, the fantastic Albaicin and Sacromonte. Also, one of my references of Flamenco, who also is an outstanding Choro & Samba player, Fernando de La Rua. An interesting story will come up on how I got my flamenco guitar from the great guitar maker (guitarrero) German Perez.

In this episode, I've interviewed Carlos Alexandre Wuensche, a fantastic musician, great friend and an outstanding well succeeded professional. Alexandre is Astrophysicist and Cosmologist. Additionally, he plays several type of strings instruments like guitar (6, 7 and 8 strings), classical and particularly our beloved Choro. He will share some interesting stories about his music journey.  

In this episode I will share how I got into Salsa & Latin Jazz.  I had a fantastic experience in Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico where I've learnt a lot about salsa and other Cuban rhythms. Another fantastic experience in exploring different cultures and also propagating the Brazilian genres I love (samba, choro, baião, forró and etc). 

In this episode I will share one of the most remarkable trips for me as I managed to get into one of the most famous jazz schools in the world. That was a fantastic trip, even without booking accommodation for my first night, which was July 4th, Independence Day in the USA. I had the pleasure to meet Romero Lubambo and drink from the several important sources of music, arrangement and composition. 

In this episode I will tell you how I got to know the 7 strings' guitar (in Portuguese violão de sete cordas). The luthiers (guitar makers) that I've been in contact, the type of guitar I've decided to use, the influence from Dino 7 (Sete) Cordas (Horondino José da Silva) and Raphael Rabello. The songs that were a kind of wake up call for me and how I decided to express myself using this instrument.

In this episode I will tell you how I have met the guitar and my journey into music. How everything started, with percussion, flute and piano. And also, how I've decided to focus more in the nylon guitar (the classical guitar as an instrument) instead of the electric guitar.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed everyone's life. I will share with you how I've rediscovered myself being a musician in the new norm.