Wajdi Riahi Trio

Up-and-coming band from Brussels blends exuberant piano playing with trance-inducing Stambeli rhythms. Young pianist Wajdi Riahi harmoniously intertwines various worlds: his classical education, his passion for jazz and his North African heritage. His music is more than the sum of its parts, as he proves on his album Essia. Named after his mother, the album takes inspiration from his city of birth Tunis and the local Stambeli rituals. The rhythms that are integral to Stambeli form the basis of Wajdi Riahi’s trio. In this line-up, he complements his piano playing with Fender Rhodes and his own voice. The double bass played by Basile Rahola offers firm support. Pierre Hurty’s drums are occasionally accentuated by the krakebs, the metallic castagnets used in Stambeli and related styles such as Gnawa. For five years these musicians have formed a close-knit unit in Belgian jazz. Wajdi has previously played with the likes of Aka Moon and he has recently performed on our stage with Adèle Viret.