Bio
AMERICAN GIRL, MEDITERRANEAN WORLD. The first female Oud player to emerge on the global scene from the United States, Cycon presents her latest project, Aliya and the New Andalus. It’s a vessel for conjuring an upbeat and relatable musical reflection of her recent experiences living in the Andalusian region of southern Spain via a striking convergence of Flamenco styles, multi-lingual singing (in Arabic, Spanish, French, and her native English) and her skillful playing of the beautiful-sounding Oud; the lute-like string instrument of North Africa and the Middle East. Modern and historical strains of Sephardic, Andalusian, and Arabic music, and even Jesse Cook-influenced pop, and New York Gypsy Allstars-styled jazz form her unique musical palette.
Music from around the world has always been the source of inspiration for Cycon’s music. She boldly fronts AATNA with her exuberant playing and spirited singing. The trumpet, played by Balkan jazz virtuoso Timotej Kotnik provides a colorful contrast to the Oud’s percussive sound, as well as expressive Balkan-influenced solos. The cross-cultural compositions mix the influences from her American upbringing with eclectic Arabic, Andalusian, and North African styles which she has studied intensively for over 8 years at Berklee College of Music and beyond. The songs transmit her love for travel and social change.
Aliya and the New Andalus' four track EP follows two well-received albums by the Aliya Cycon Project, We Will Be Light (2015) and Prayer (2017), which are both explorations of the commonality between world-pop and Arabic music.
Music from around the world has always been the source of inspiration for Cycon’s music. She boldly fronts AATNA with her exuberant playing and spirited singing. The trumpet, played by Balkan jazz virtuoso Timotej Kotnik provides a colorful contrast to the Oud’s percussive sound, as well as expressive Balkan-influenced solos. The cross-cultural compositions mix the influences from her American upbringing with eclectic Arabic, Andalusian, and North African styles which she has studied intensively for over 8 years at Berklee College of Music and beyond. The songs transmit her love for travel and social change.
Aliya and the New Andalus' four track EP follows two well-received albums by the Aliya Cycon Project, We Will Be Light (2015) and Prayer (2017), which are both explorations of the commonality between world-pop and Arabic music.
EP - Aliya and the New Andalus RELEASED SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
click image to see track list
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A voice like an angel and magnificent Oud playing. |
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ALIYA CYCON PROJECT Orchestra
Aliya Cycon Project Orchestra creates a world of its own with epic orchestration, a driving rhythm section and soulful lead vocals.
Often collaborating with the US Embassy as a "Cultural Ambassador," ACPO has toured in the US, UK, Jordan, Tunisia,
Palestine and Kuwait --bringing joy to listeners of all backgrounds whether from the East or the West.
Often collaborating with the US Embassy as a "Cultural Ambassador," ACPO has toured in the US, UK, Jordan, Tunisia,
Palestine and Kuwait --bringing joy to listeners of all backgrounds whether from the East or the West.
Bio
Aliya Cycon Project orchestra is an internationally touring project that promotes cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. It is a sonic combination of an occidental-oriental orchestra, a latin-inspired rhythm section, and her melodic Oud at the center. A mix of traditional songs which fuse big band, cinematic and Middle Eastern influences and modern covers of traditional songs from around the world, the repertoire is as unique as it is familiar.
ACP has collaborated with top musicians in the Middle East including Tareq Jundi, Zied Gharsa, Yarub Smarait, and Yousef Bara. During their tours, ACP presents free public concerts to encourage audiences of all backgrounds to attend, as well as gives free motivational music workshops to youth, women and aspiring musicians.
The Aliya Cycon Project released their first album in 2014 titled We Will Be Light. The second album, which introduced the fusion orchestra concept, was released in 2017 and is entitled Prayer.
ACP has collaborated with top musicians in the Middle East including Tareq Jundi, Zied Gharsa, Yarub Smarait, and Yousef Bara. During their tours, ACP presents free public concerts to encourage audiences of all backgrounds to attend, as well as gives free motivational music workshops to youth, women and aspiring musicians.
The Aliya Cycon Project released their first album in 2014 titled We Will Be Light. The second album, which introduced the fusion orchestra concept, was released in 2017 and is entitled Prayer.
Album - Prayer RELEASED OCTOBER 16, 2017
click image to see track list
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Cycon delivers a new album, Prayer, which sounds like the soundtrack to an epic theatrical journey, invoking the spirit of Middle Eastern music while incorporating jazzy rhythms, helped by the band's multi-instrumental attack. |
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Aliya also performs as a solo act, just her voice and her Oud. Her solo set consists of a wide range of pieces, from upbeat and technical instrumental compositions to slow, meditative taqasim (Arabic for solo improvisations). She is known for covering famous Middle Eastern songs and singing in Arabic, as well as performing her original songs which utilize modern Oud techniques such as chords and arpeggios, and her English-language covers of songs from around the world.
“Cycon’s [oud] sometimes projects a palpable effervescence, other times an incisive ambiguity.” –DownBeat Magazine