SSAHHA is a North African ensemble led by Moroccan pianist/percussionist/composer Amino Belyamani. Featuring a re-tuned piano that incorporates the microtones of Arabic music, this group creates a unique sound that combines melancholic and festive melodies with hypnotic North African grooves.

Tickets: $20 General (*buy now) | $15 Members, Seniors, Students (*buy now) available at the door or online.

(*A small online fee is applied - use printout as your ticket)

About Amino Belyamani
Born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, Amino Belyamani began playing the piano by the age of six. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, he participated in many national and international piano competitions and received several awards and first prizes from renowned international pianists such as France Clidat. Before even graduating from high school, he had acted the lead role in a short movie directed by Lahcen Zinoun entitled Le Piano, where he performed as the lead piano player with Morocco's national philharmonic orchestra. After a couple of years spent in France, Belyamani left for the United States to absorb improvisational musical forms at the California Institute of the Arts.

Amino is a founding member of Axis Trio and Dawn of Midi wherein he composes, performs, and records original music. Axis Trio just recently released their newly recorded album entirely written by Amino on Accretions Records in July 2010. Belyamani recently released a new project of completely original material with a new band called SSAHHA which incorporates microtonal pianos using North African and Middle Eastern tuning systems. As well as being a pianist, Amino plays traditional Moroccan folk percussion and Ghanaian lead drum in an Ewe ensemble called Bedstuy Ewe. He also is the keyboard player for two large musical collectives called Oliwa and the Pleasure Circus Band and Progressive Youth Club. He has also composed music for both instrumental and electro-acoustic traditions. Amino has recorded original compositions on four consecutive jazz compilations at the prestigious Capitol Records under the EMI record label. Amino's music reflects the diversity of his interests, which usually translates into a blend of complex african rhythms, arabic melodies, western classical music, and jazz.

Amino has performed with Albert "Tootie" heath, Joe La Barbera, Darek Oles, Larry Koonse, Vinny Golia, Alfred Ladzekpo, Houman Pourmehdi, Hamid el Kasri, Brahim Fribgane, Hassan Hakmoun, Dimi Mint Abba, Charlie Haden and many others. Amino is currently living in New York City.

Last updated: 2012-03-12 12:16:11