Mike's Oud Forums

Abdelaziz Abdellah (Alla)

MatthewW - 11-29-2007 at 09:50 AM

Greetings! Does anyone know how to contact the amazing Algerian oud player Abdelaziz Abdellah (Alla)
does he have an email address/website,postal address, etc? THANKS!

gilgamesh - 11-30-2007 at 01:20 AM

Salam aaleykum

A virtuoso of the oud, Alla is amythical and mysterious musician. Peculiar legends and stories run on him throughout Algeria and the Sahara. He refuses to see the world, living somewhere voluntarily recluse in Paris. And his music is so beautiful it makes people crazy…
That's the few little website I know:
http://alla.mondomix.com/fr/video372.htm
http://alla.mondomix.com/fr/chronique374.htm
http://alla.mondomix.com/fr/portrait4.htm
Sorry everyboby, it's French

MatthewW - 11-30-2007 at 02:11 AM

bonjour mon ami Gilgamesh! Savez-vous qui fait son ouds?
Fait-il son propre ouds? Ils ont une conception très interessant!
Do you know who makes his ouds? They have an unusual design which can be seen in one the links you posted above. The fingerboard actually goes over the soundhole. Does he make his own ouds? They sound very good. merci beacoup:wavey:

gilgamesh - 11-30-2007 at 02:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by MatthewW
bonjour mon ami Gilgamesh! Savez-vous qui fait son ouds?
Fait-il son propre ouds? Ils ont une conception très interessant!
Do you know who makes his ouds? They have an unusual design which can be seen in one the links you posted above. The fingerboard actually goes over the soundhole! Does he make his own ouds? They sound very good. merci beacoup:wavey:
That's exact my brother, they are Alla ouds by himself

MatthewW - 12-1-2007 at 09:47 AM

for those who haven't seen Abdelaziz Abdellah's ouds have a look- the fingerboard goes over the soundhole. Do you know if he unique in making and playing ouds like this?

ALAMI - 12-1-2007 at 10:50 AM

Full Length fingerboard made by Nagham Al Khalij - Koweit

http://www.oud.cc/shop1.htm

MatthewW - 12-1-2007 at 12:21 PM

Wow! I didn't know others made ouds like this. Thanks for posting it Alami.

Raby - 12-1-2007 at 01:17 PM

wow This oud look great ! But the players of this kinds of oud , they really use the full lenght of the fingerboard ?

gilgamesh - 12-1-2007 at 03:47 PM

In fact, the full length of this extended fingerboard finish as an extention of the pickgard, The two are one, it's this Ebohy empire. what an ingenious concept.

Oud Freak - 12-23-2007 at 04:54 AM

About Alla. I heard his CD "Le Foundou" and it seems like he tunes his strings a sixth higher (sixte majeure). Is that right? if so, what is the vibrating string length of his instrument? What kind of strings he uses, and whith which specs?

Melbourne - 12-23-2007 at 07:17 AM

But can you imagine - with so much dead material - ie hard ebony fingerboard extending all the way to the bridge, would that not kill the projection of the instrument - a lot ? Its a similar thing to having a huge raqma on an oud, because of its hard wood nature, it is covering up the highly resonat spruce or cedar softwood face, and hence reducing the sound. Unless someone can clarify....

BTW Alami - do you know anything about this maker? There are a couple of nice bashir models on his website. Thanks for providing the link :)

Ronny Andersson - 12-23-2007 at 07:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ALAMI
Full Length fingerboard made by Nagham Al Khalij - Koweit

http://www.oud.cc/shop1.htm


What is the back side of Lee Varis Foad Jihad oud doing on that site?

Oud Freak - 12-23-2007 at 02:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oud Freak
About Alla. I heard his CD "Le Foundou" and it seems like he tunes his strings a sixth higher (sixte majeure). Is that right? if so, what is the vibrating string length of his instrument? What kind of strings he uses, and whith which specs?


Is it possible that nobody knows? I don't think it is a bank secrecy.

Melbourne - 12-23-2007 at 06:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ronny Andersson
Quote:
Originally posted by ALAMI
Full Length fingerboard made by Nagham Al Khalij - Koweit

http://www.oud.cc/shop1.htm


What is the back side of Lee Varis Foad Jihad oud doing on that site?


Thats exactly what I thought. But I think whoever designed that website simply went image shopping on google and selected a few good images, I can think of a few websites that have images of ouds that are clearly not their own...

Meursault - 12-26-2007 at 11:29 AM

Sorry, but that oud is butt-ugly.

Oud Freak - 12-26-2007 at 12:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Meursault
Sorry, but that oud is butt-ugly.


He he Meursault, you are absolutely right. I wanted to say so but I didn't bcos I am always attacked for my criticisms, although they are not destructive ones but demanding ones. I find this oud design has nothing of elegance, but of course it is just a personal opinion.

MatthewW - 12-28-2007 at 03:22 PM

hey lads, they say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder':cool:

Personally I think this is an interesting design. Abdelaziz Abdellah certainly knows how to produce a lovely sound from one with his own style of playing.
Anyone out there ever see him in concert or know how to contact this eccentric oudist?

paulO - 12-28-2007 at 04:18 PM

Hey man...looks aren't everything -- until you've played it and heard it it person...it's just a case of "not everybody likes apple pie" Since we're talkin Alla here -- I totally second the sentiment's of MatthewW. He has a great touch, and the gift of originality !

Happy New Year All !!!

PaulO

Wm. De Leonardis - 12-28-2007 at 04:31 PM

Does anyone know where I can get copies of Tanakoul and Zahra? I have the the other two Alla CD's, but haven't been able to locate the these. I think both have been out-of-print for awhile now.

If anyone would like to do a CD-R trade, please get in touch.

Thanks,
Bill

gilgamesh - 12-28-2007 at 05:42 PM

Hello fellas;One day, the huge gap that separates my level, my experience and my creativity with those of Alla would inchaAllah decrease a little bit; And when this blessed day will come I should perhaps have an opinion about the relevance of Alla's aouds. (may be in year 3000???)
Peace and love on you all. Cia~ciao
:airguitar:

Oud Freak - 12-30-2007 at 02:45 PM

Try also "Le Foundou", awesome CD by Alla. The oud also sounds beautiful, with the special strings he installed and the special tuning.
All these outstanding qualites don't make the oud look good. It reminds me of some heavy weapon.