BIOGRAPHY
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When Aliya Cycon dreamed of becoming a musician, she never knew that someday her passion would bring her to perform in over 10 countries, singing in diverse languages and holding an Oud in her hand. Having grown up with a steady diet of world and crossover music from artists like Yanni, Gipsy Kings, Enya, Baba Maal and Loreena McKennitt, her musical inspiration always stemmed from a colorful tapestry of world music styles - and the voice of the Oud especially captured her attention. She first picked up the lute-like stringed instrument while traveling in the Middle East at the age of 18. In the decade since then, she graduated from Berklee College of Music as the school's first ever female Oud player, performed her music at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, and became a Cultural Ambassador for the United States Embassy, conducting tours and workshops in Jordan, Tunisia and Kuwait.
Now, Cycon leads a band of multicultural musicians who infuse her original music with eclectic colors. Her music dances between diverse global styles - Middle Eastern to Flamenco, Jazz to Pop, singer-songwriter to cinematic--all tied together with the common thread of her passionate Oud playing and singing. Aliya is now based in Valencia, Spain, and frequently performs in her community as well as abroad. She is currently working on her third full album, to be released in 2023. Stay tuned! |
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SINGLES
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ALBUMS & EPs
EP - Aliya and the New Andalus (2019)
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A voice like an angel and magnificent Oud playing. Aliya is a maestra of melodies, which shows in her singing, playing, and songwriting. |
Album - Prayer (2017)
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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. |
Album - We Will Be Light (2015)
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A shimmering dance between World pop and traditional Arabic music. Cycon's lute sometimes reflects a palpable effervescence, other times an incisive ambiguity. |
IN CONCERT (band) |
IN CONCERT (orchestra) |
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