Biography
The ensemble’s name was inspired from an ancient Middle Eastern percussion
instrument called “Nakaira”, similar in form to the Indian tabla. Although the name claims
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oriental origins, Nakaira’s initial artistic expectations and aims – after the group’s official
foundation in 1999 – was to reinstate and promote the Celtic and Irish folk music in Sicily
(Italy), where the majority of the members come from. After their first public performances in
festivals of local significance in Sicily, in 2000 Nakaira released their first CD titled “Musiche a
danzare tra oriente e occidente”, followed by their participation in numerous musical seasons
as well as in national and international world music festivals in Italy, Portugal, Spain, France,
Tunisia, Yemen, Austria, Germany and UK, where they were enthusiastically embraced by both
the audience and the music critics. In 2005 Nakaira released its second CD album, this time
under the title “Onde sonore dal Mediterraneo”.
Their show is like a route along the music and dances of the Mediterranean area,
displaying mutual influences from both Greek and Sicilian musical traditions for an evocative
combination of a variety of folk and contemporary musical instruments such as, Greek and
Irish bouzouki, violin, bagpipe, saz, oud, accordion.
Within the context of the prevailed “world music” market, where the fusion of ethnic
and modern sounds creates a unique multilingual musical landscape, Nakaira’s artistic
creations move indeed beyond any cultural or temporal boundaries, in an experience which
vitalizes the old and nurtures the new. Their multi-flavoured and vivid music explorations
reflect a creative and experimental dialogue with the living music traditions, mostly depicting
the Mediterranean soundscapes, fact that is moreover reinforced by the group’s multi-ethnic
constitution of both Italian and Greek musicians.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.