With After the Last Sky, Anouar Brahem presents at Flagey a new album that sounds as poetic as it is urgent. Eight years after Blue Maqams, the Tunisian oud player continues his musical journey between Arab traditions and jazz. For this project, he surrounds himself with three like-minded musical adventurers: pianist Django Bates, cellist Anja Lechner, and bassist Mats Eilertsen. The title of his new album is drawn from a line by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: “Where do the birds fly after the last sky?” This question unfolds into a fragile yet intense musical conversation, carried by mutual trust. In a world marked by division and violence, Brahem’s music is both a sanctuary and a form of resistance.

Flagey, ECM Records