Maktoub (“written” or “destined”) is an oriental jazz project that challenges musical forms, genres, and geographic boundaries. Named after a central paradox—that what feels predetermined is continuously rewritten in real time—the project places Arabic maqam-based melodic compositions in dynamic dialogue with jazz form.
Recorded between Cairo and Vancouver with a collective of prolific artists, Maktoub is deeply rooted in the immigrant experience: a process of longing and belonging, continuity and rupture, adaptation and resistance. Composed material provides a frame, while live improvisation opens cracks, shifts, and reconfigurations—allowing memory, skill, presence, and collective listening to reshape the music directly in front of the audience.
Line Up
Ahmed Maher | Oud
Anthony Schuls | Accordion
Geoff Claridge | Bass Clarinet
Conrad Good | Double Bass
Atin Chiraghchi | Percussion