Kazdoura

ONTARIO

KAzDOURA

🇨🇦

KAzDOURA 🇨🇦

Kazdoura, a Toronto-based music collective, epitomises the idea of Arabic fusion. Founded after a serendipitous encounter between  Leen Hamo and Johnny Abou Chacra in 2020, the duo initially set out to  reinterpret classical Arabic melodies in a modern way. They’ve since added original music to their repertoire, eager to spread messages of tolerance and understanding.

Syrian singer Hamo brings her fervour for classical Arabic music, while Lebanese-Canadian Abou Chacra, a versatile multi-instrumentalist, brings a grounding in jazz. They discovered a shared passion for infusing Arabic classics of the last century with a variety of musical influences including blues, funk, disco, pop, and jazz. Together, they foster collaborations with diverse musicians to breathe new life into the rich musical traditions of the Arab world and introduce them to Canada's multicultural communities. Their 2022 EP, Wain, is inspired by the struggles and destruction rampant across the Middle East as well as the hardships suffered by immigrants, and issues of belonging. In classic Kazdoura style, the tunes are as danceable as they are catchy, easy to see as joining the canon from which their initial inspirations come.

They’ve attracted a growing following with their unique take on Arabic music, both in their rearrangements and original compositions, online and IRL: Their videos have collected more than 3 million views on Tik Tok, while 2024 sees shows in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Egypt, and the Netherlands.