The Italian gypsy jazz band Luca Ciarla Quartet plan to take Dubai audiences on an emotional musical journey when they perform live this Eid weekend.
Founded by the violinist Luca Ciarla, the band are taking a break from their current world tour to appear in Dubai for the first time. The show will take place at the Amphitheatre Souk Madinat Jumeirah, in association with The Fridge music management company.
"Our band is simply one of the most creative and surprising gypsy jazz quartets around. Our music easily transcends the boundaries among genres to trace an innovative path," says Ciarla.
About coming to Dubai, he says: "This is our first time in a destination we have been keen to visit for quite some time. As the hub of the Middle East performance scene, it is essential that we experience the eclectic audience it holds."
The band have played in more than 30 countries, including major jazz festivals in Montreal, Hong Kong and Melbourne.
Ciarla describes their music as a "magical acoustic seduction" that finds perfect balance between written compositions and improvisation, while embracing both traditional and contemporary sounds.
"One of our luckiest tunes has been Bach Tarantolato, a sort of suite that starts with a gavotte by J S Bach and that we slowly transform into some folk dances from south Italy, such as tarantella or pizzica. It may sound crazy but it works fantastically," he says.
It was when Ciarla was 8 years old that his love affair with music began, first with the violin and then the piano. Since then, one of Ciarla's many achievements has been founding the Violipiano Arts production house in Hong Kong (2001), as well as producing the work of colleagues and several festivals.
So, what is it about jazz music he continues to find so enchanting?
"The adventurous spirit and the surprise of discovering something new all the time, thanks to improvisation," Ciarla says.
The show starts at 8pm at the Amphitheatre Souk Madinat Jumeirah on Saturday. Tickets cost Dh125 and are available at The First Group Theatre box office
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