Nubiyan Dance by NOON

The origin of NOON’s ‘Nubiyan Dance’ began in the southern part of Egypt, in a city called Luxor...

Upon traveling through the region, Oud player Mohamed Hosny along with a friend composed a stringed-melody inspired by the ancient capital city. This melody transformed into the foundation for Nubiyan Dance.

Upon hearing just bits and pieces of the melody, drummer Ratish Chadha and bassist Steven Bedford were immediately drawn to the tune’s rhythmic nature and decided to craft a full song around it. As the song grew to include rhythms from both the Arab and African worlds, such as the Egyptian folk-style Maqsoum, it became evident that world-renowned percussionist Weedie Braimah would be an incredible fit for the track. And finally, in order to tie the harmonies together, keys represented the final piece of the puzzle. Bringing New York keyboardist Adam Ahuja onboard to record on the organ, synth and rhodes truly made the song into what it is, reflecting the band’s inherent mission: to merge the energies of the Eastern and Western worlds.

Nubiyan Dance is released worldwide on label Infinity Gritty, 11/11/21.

Up front is the sound of the oud, the most typical international marker of all things Middle Eastern. But sonically framed by electric bass and drums – and freed by the improvisatory impulses of Jazz – NOON’s collective sound is distinctly global. Shades of funk groove, African and Indian percussive rhythms and electronic effects pepper this sonic stew. They call it “experimental Oriental”

noonband.com