Naïssam Jalal is a flautist and composer from Paris, France, born in 1984. She works in jazz and is also associated with experimental and instrumental music.

Background

Jalal develops a personal approach to music shaped by improvisation, Arab music traditions and collaboration across different musical settings. She begins her artistic formation from the age of six through a wide range of human and artistic encounters. At 17, she discovers improvisation and leaves conservatory study after obtaining the CFEM.

Training and musical development

At 19, she continues her apprenticeship at the Grand Institute of Arab Music in Damascus, where she studies the nay. She then spends several years in Cairo, where she deepens her playing through contact with leading figures in classical Arab music, including the violinist Abdu Dagher and Fathi Salama, and performs in major theatres.

Projects and collaborations

Jalal joins Tarace Boulba and tours France and Mali with the group. She takes part in the creation of El Dor El Awal and Bakash. She is also a member of Al Akhareen.

Artistic approach

Her work is marked by a search for freedom, a concern with commitment in music, and an interest in connecting different musical cultures and aesthetic fields. Across her projects, she is known for improvisation and for drawing on a broad range of influences.