Wishamalii

Wishamalii is a trio of three musicians with diverse backgrounds: Palestinian-Jordanian singer and ud player Nemat Battah, Finnish pianist Kari Ikonen, and Ethiopian percussionist Abdissa Assefa. The band name refers to the Nordic interpretation of Arabic-Andalusian Muwashah songs. In 2024, the group released their debut album Al-Bahr, featuring mostly original compositions, which was nominated for multiple awards in Germany.

Kari Ikonen developed his own system that allows him to play Arabic maqam modes and other micro-intervals on an acoustic piano - a technical innovation that is central to the trio's sound. This way, Wishamalii combines Arabic muwashah songs with a Nordic jazz approach.

Line-up: Nemat Battah (vocals & ud), Kari Ikonen (piano & micro tuning system, moog), Abdissa Assefa (percussion).