Ibrahim Maalouf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ibrahim Maalouf ابراهيم معلوف
Ibrahim Maalouf at Festival du Bout du Monde in 2014
Background information
Born	(1980-11-05) 5 November 1980 (age 44) Beirut, Lebanon
Genres	Jazz classical
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Piccolo trumpet trumpet flugelhorn
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Mis'Ter

Ibrahim Maalouf (born November 5, 1980) is a talented French-Lebanese musician. He is a trumpeter, music producer, arranger, and composer. In 2022, he made history. He became the first Lebanese instrumentalist to be nominated for a Grammy Award. This was for his album Queen of Sheba, which he created with Angélique Kidjo.

About Ibrahim Maalouf

Ibrahim Maalouf comes from a very musical family. His father, Nassim Maalouf, is a famous trumpeter. His mother, Nada Maalouf, is a pianist. His uncle is the well-known writer Amin Maalouf. His grandfather, Rushdi Maalouf, was a journalist, poet, and music expert.

Ibrahim was born in Beirut, Lebanon. When he was a child, his family moved to Paris, France. This was during the Lebanese Civil War. He grew up in Paris with his sister, Layla. He studied science and math in school until he was 17.

Learning the Trumpet

Ibrahim started playing the trumpet at age seven. His father taught him. His father had studied with the famous French trumpeter Maurice André. Ibrahim learned many different styles of music. These included classical, baroque, and modern music. He also learned classical Arabic music and how to improvise.

Ibrahim's father invented a special trumpet. It's called the "quarter tone trumpet." This trumpet can play Arabic maqams. These are special Arabic musical scales.

Early Performances and Career

As a teenager, Ibrahim played music with his father. They performed as a duo across Europe and the Middle East. They played baroque music by composers like Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni and Johann Sebastian Bach. Ibrahim even played a very difficult piece, Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto.

Maurice André, the famous trumpeter, advised Ibrahim. He told him to focus on music instead of science. Ibrahim took his advice. He spent five years studying at the Conservatoire de Paris. After his studies, he became a teacher. He taught trumpet at a conservatory in France. He also gave special classes in the U.S.

Ibrahim released his first solo album in 2007. It was called Diasporas. He released it on his own music label.

Composing and Collaborations

Ibrahim has written music for many movies. He has also composed pieces for choirs and orchestras. He has worked with many famous musicians. These include Sting, Salif Keita, Vanessa Paradis, and Juliette Gréco. He also teaches improvisation at the Paris Regional Superieur Conservatory.

In 2008, Ibrahim performed in an opera called Welcome to the Voice. He played alongside Elvis Costello and Sting. Sting was so impressed that he asked Ibrahim to play on his album If on a Winter's Night....

Ibrahim started composing music when he was very young. In 1999, he showed his own music for the first time. His first band, Farah, played Oriental jazz. Their music mixed jazz with Middle Eastern sounds.

Musical Style and Inspiration

Ibrahim's music is deeply inspired by his Arabic culture. He uses traditional Arabic sounds in his trumpet playing. But he also mixes in other styles. He uses instruments like electric guitar, drums, and vibraphone. This gives his music a rock, electronic, and jazz funk feel.

A documentary called Souffle! (Blow) explored Ibrahim's inspiration. It showed his connection to his home country, Lebanon. The film was shown on TV5 MONDE.

In 2017, the legendary producer Quincy Jones noticed Ibrahim. Quincy Jones promotes Ibrahim's music through his company. That same year, Ibrahim played at the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum. He was also a judge for the Miss Lebanon election on TV.

Ibrahim has used his music to honor important events. He played with Sting at the reopening of the Bataclan in Paris. He also paid tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Paris. He composed a song sung by the French star Louane. In 2021, he played the French national anthem in front of the Eiffel Tower. Millions of people watched this performance on TV.

In November 2022, Ibrahim released his 16th studio album, Capacity to Love. This album is about urban music and inclusion. It features many artists from different backgrounds. These include Erick the Architect, Tank and the Bangas, Cimafunk, and JP Cooper. Even the famous actress Sharon Stone lent her voice to a song on the album.

Awards and Recognition

Ibrahim Maalouf has won many awards for his music.

• Between 1999 and 2003, he won awards in fifteen competitions around the world.
• In 2001, he won first prize in the National Trumpet Competition in Washington D.C.
• In 2002, he won first prize in the Hungarian International Trumpet Competition.
• In 2010, he was named Instrumental Revelation of the Year at the French Jazz Music Awards.
• In 2014, he won Best World Music Artist at the French Music Awards.
• In 2017, he won the Best Original Score award at the César Awards for his movie music.
• In 2022, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his album Queen of Sheba. This was a collaboration with Angélique Kidjo.
• In 2023, he received his second Grammy Award nomination. This was for his song "Todo Colores" from his album Capacity to Love. He collaborated with Cimafunk and Tank & the Bangas on this song.

Honours

Ibrahim Maalouf has also received special honors from France:

Ribbon bar	Country	Honour
	France	Knight of the National Order of Merit
	France	Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Discography

Ibrahim Maalouf has released many albums. Here are some of his studio albums:

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

Soundtracks

Ibrahim Maalouf has also composed music for movies. Here are some of the soundtracks he has worked on:

Images for kids

• 

  Ibrahim Maalouf

See also

In Spanish: Ibrahim Maalouf para niños

• Maalouf