Devoting an album entirely to the Persian poetry of Jami, a luminary of the Sufi tradition, was one of Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri's cherished ambitions for a long time. This dream came true for the Qawwali icon when he visited Berlin in July 1991 at the invitation of the Heimatklänge (“Home Sounds from Home Planet Earth”) festival, accompanied by his 14-year-old son Amjad. After Ghulam Sabri’s untimely death on the 5th of April 1994, Amjad Sabri became his musical successor, thereby passing on the Sufi Qawwali mastership of the Sabri family to the next generation. This all came to an end when Amjad was murdered for his Sufi beliefs in the streets of Karachi on the 22nd of June 2016. Thus, Jami is not only a memorial to the Sufi Muslim tradition and the Persian poet but also to Ghulam...

It is with heavy hearts that Piranha Records bids farewell to the legendary musician Maurice El Medioni, who passed away yesterday, 25th March 2024 at the age of 95. El Medioni was not just a musician; he was a pioneer, a virtuoso whose fingertips danced across the keys of the piano, infusing his music with the soul of Algerian and Jewish North African traditions.

Born in Oran, Algeria, in 1928, Maurice El Medioni's musical journey began at an early age, influenced by the vibrant sounds of North Africa and the Mediterranean and . His innovative fusion of Arab-Andalusian melodies, jazz, and Latin rhythms earned him international acclaim and secured his place as one of the most influential figures in Mediteranean world music.

El Medioni's music was more than just a technique; it was a...

Anewal transports the audience straight to the desert with its magnificent show. The group combines traditional African melodies with new sound that offers everything that desert blues fans love: hypnotic two-chord jams, trance-inducing beats and biting blues-inspired guitars - and Anivolla's warm vocals in his native language Tagmashek over above it all.

Piranha Recording artist and Publishing author Alhousseini Mohamed Anivolla is a remarkably subtle guitarist who creates dynamic tension and phrasing with his nuanced touch, adding tiny layers of natural distortion. He is accompanied by two outstanding African musicians with a soundscape that opens not only the audience's ears, but also their eyes. Traditional damask robes, indigo turbans and a variety of African instruments open up...

We are thrilled to learn that our wonderful Berlin "radical Yiddish troubadour", the amazing and charismatic Daniel Kahn, will be this year's recipient of the prestigious Adrienne Cooper Dreaming in Yiddish Award.

The award ceremony will take place on 27 December 2023 at the Hebrew Union College in New York.

Fans of the Semer Ensemble will know Daniel Kahn as co-musician of the Piranha album "RESCUED TREASURE - LIVE AT GORKI BERLIN" or as leader of Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird, with whom he has released four successful albums that stand for a special mixture of klezmer, radical political views and punk attitude.

We are excited to present BANTUNAGOJÊJE at WOMEX23 in A Corunha, a fresh band led by Berlin based band leader Paulo Cedraz from Salvador de Bahia.

"Bantunagojêje are an energetic force that need to be seen as well as heard" - Exberliner Magazine

BANTUNAGOJÊJE is when Fela Kuti's afrobeat meets jazz in downtown Salvador. BNJ delivers energetic, emotional instrumental songs by the Brazilian band leader Paulo Cedraz. Música da Bahia, Made in Berlin.

In addition to many influences such as Afrobeat, Fusion Jazz and Funk, the bands' sound is mainly characterized by the rhythms of the Afro- Brazilian religion of Candomblé. The three components of the band name BANTU, NAGÔ and JÊJE refer to the three largest groups of Candomblé while also referencing the African peoples who originated it. A...