Vocalist and composer Sophie Tassignon is known for her unique timbre and her beautifully intricate compositions and arrangements, as have been heard in both her solo project and the chamber quartet „Azolia“. Next to her all encompassing musical existence, Tassignon has a deep seated interest in cultures from around the world and fluency in a variety of languages, which she makes apparent on her solo released in April 2020 with RareNoise Records.

In 2017, due to her work with Syrian refugees in Berlin, Sophie Tassignon decided to begin learning the Arabic language and to seek a deeper understanding of Arabic culture. This work has in turn led to the development of her newest project, KHYAL.

KHYAL blends poetic Arabic and English texts with jazz traditions from Europe and North America. Some of the Arabic songs performed by the group of five international Berlin-based musicians are centred around the words of Mohammad Mallak, a Syrian scriptwriter and playwright who resides between France and Germany, and acts as editor in chief of Saiedet Souria magazine. The English poems are written by Sophie Tassignon herself.

Stemming from the Arabic word for ‘imagination’, ‘Khyal’ can be translated as the ‘memory of and longing for something long gone’.

Sophie Tassignon’s KHYAL is a musical meeting of cultures. This music represents the tolerance and acceptance of people from around the world regardless of background or belief system, and offers a glimpse into the beauty and artistry that can arise through cross-cultural collaborations.

KHYAL will be premiered end of 2020 in Berlin.

Sophie Tassignon – voice
Hub Hildenbrand – guitar
Peter Van Huffel – baritone saxophone
Roland Fidezius – bass
Mathias Ruppnig – drums

Mohammad Mallak