The Rediscovered: Fahem

On his 2003 CD, Recuerdos, improvisational flamenco-jazz guitarist Kader Fahem surrounds himself with musicians with various musical backgrounds, that all lend their worldly approaches to the mix of primarily instrumental tracks with a few vocal songs. The ten infectious compositions are a great showcase for Fahem's virtuosity and love of the flamenco idiom. His golden fingers deftly apply dazzling flourishes to swift, precisely picked passages, and he never loses his sense of flowing melodicism. The Fahem Quintet has picked up quite a bit of press in Europe, and one listen to Recuerdos will confirm that he is indeed a captivating, 25-year-old player with a bright future ahead of him. Fahem was originally profiled in the October-November, 2004 edition of The Undiscovered.

Fahem started learning guitar at the age of seven, at first studying the traditional music of his Kabyle origins. He later began a long apprenticeship with his older brother Kemji, who taught him flamenco, and Fahem created his own amateur Gypsy flamenco band at the age of twelve. In his teenage years, he began to discover on his own the different hidden sides of "flamenco puro" - the roots - and dedicated himself to study the soul and strength of this deep music. Inspired by players such as Paco de Lucia and Vicente Amigo, Fahem got familiar with the compas until he mastered them and finally created his own sound. He later traveled to Andalusia, to immerse himself in the history and culture, as well as to meet and play with other flamenco amateurs.

At age 25 today, Fahem is now a composer and performer in a flamenco-jazz style that stems from a cultural crossbreeding, influenced by his own life, childhood, travels and origins.

Zyryab Productions
France

Web site: www.kaderfahem.com