‘’I’m always trying to stay true to myself’’: Bahraini/British performer Yazz Ahmed

Sophie Clinton | 31st May 2018

Yazz Ahmed

Bahraini-British performer, Yazz Ahmed is giving new meaning to modern jazz and she’ll be heading to Manchester’s Band on the Wall on Saturday 23rd June.  

This trumpet and flugelhorn player has worked with Radiohead and These New Puritans, experiments with electronic effects, and shapes her own musical universe.

Yazz said: ‘’I’ve never played at Band on the Wall so I’m excited to perform.

‘’Band on the Wall has such a great reputation and it’s a cool venue, so I’m looking forward to bringing my seven-piece band to the club.

‘’My band comprises of bass clarinet, keyboard, bass guitar, drums and percussion.’’

It wasn’t until Yazz moved to London when she was nine years old that she was given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.

Yazz credits her grandfather, Terry for inspiring and influencing her music career.

She said: ‘’I had my first trumpet lesson with my grandfather, he was a jazz trumpet player in the 1950s.

Terry played with John Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, and Ronnie Scott, amongst many others. He later became a record producer for Pye and then Phillips Records.

Yazz continues: ‘’After my first initial lesson I then started having lessons with my local music service.

‘’This led to me joining the local youth band in Merton, London.

Yazz Ahmed

”We played at fantastic venues such as, the Royal Albert Hall and performing at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships every year.

‘’It was a huge amount of fun.’’

As well as her grandfather, Yazz also credits her background for inspiring her music.

Yazz explains how she is heavily influenced by Bahraini music mixed with Jazz and she’ll be performing an array of different music at Band on the Wall.

‘’I released my second album ‘La Saboteuse’ last year in May and we will be playing some of the music from this album at Band on the Wall.

‘’We will also perform music from the album I will be releasing next year called ‘Polyhymnia’, its inspired by female role models.

‘’We’ll be playing some pieces that I wrote for Birmingham jazzlines also. The music is inspired by Bahraini pearl divers and celebratory wedding songs.

‘’I was inspired to write these pieces whilst visiting Bahrain.

‘’So, you’ll be hearing all these influences at Band on the Wall.’’

Her album ‘La Saboteuse’ is a deep exploration of both her British and Bahraini roots.

She is assisted by musicians including Lewis Wright on vibraphone, MOBO-winning new jazz kingpin Shabaka Hutchings on bass clarinet and Naadia Sherriff on Fender Rhodes keyboard, it is composed of undulating rhythms, Middle Eastern melody and Yazz’s sonorous trumpet lines.

The theme of ‘La Saboteuse’ is the sense of self-doubt that Yazz feels when she is creating, personified in a female saboteur, an anti-muse that spurs her into action.

It wasn’t until Yazz was in her last year at sixth form that she wanted to become a professional musician.

Yazz explains: ‘’I desperately wanted to study jazz at a music college in London, but I wasn’t ready.

‘’So, I decided to enrol on a regular music degree course at Kingston University.

‘’I worked extremely hard to improve my jazz knowledge and playing.

‘’The hard work paid off and I received a scholarship to do a master’s degree in jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

‘’It was amazing, I loved every moment of it.’’

After graduating, Yazz set up her own band and started writing her own music. It was difficult at first to get her voice heard in a crowded music scene.

It wasn’t until she began rediscovering her Bahraini roots that she found her true voice.

Yazz explains: ‘’I’m always trying to move forward and be unique, but still stay true to myself.

Yazz Ahmed

‘’Whatever I do, I’m always trying to go back to me and my journey and how I use all these experiences I’ve had playing with other people, travelling with people and what that brings to my life.

‘’So that’s what I’m always searching for.’’

Yazz highlights how music allows her to tell a story and she has a unique background.

She said: ‘’We all have a story to tell and my story is that I come from a mixed background, I used to live in Bahrain, I’m a female, it’s unusual for a female of a Muslim heritage to play the trumpet and performing which as well is unusual.

‘’I was born in the UK, but when it was safe enough for my mum to travel she went back to Bahrain to live with my dad and that side of the family.

‘’I lived there during the gulf war, so it was quite scary.

‘’I had to learn how to follow the procedures when the sirens went off. We had gas masks, we had to cover ourselves from head to toe.

‘’We couldn’t go to school because they could be targeted. Thankfully nothing happened, but it was quite a scary time.’’

Yazz hopes that her music can allow the masses to understand and connect with jazz music.

She explains: ‘’I think quite a lot of people don’t quite understand what jazz sounds like. I think there’s a preconception that its not very cool music, but there’s so many different branches of jazz that can appeal to everyone.

‘’You’ve got to find the right kind of person you want to listen to, someone you can relate with. Jazz is very personal music.

‘’It’s one of those art forms you must explore. I hope that audiences can get into what I’m trying to say and enjoy it. ‘’

With this goal in mind, Yazz has been working on a remix EP. With the first track, out in May this year.

She explains: ‘’The whole EP is coming out this summer.

”The three remixers I’m collaborating with are: Hector Plimmer, DJ Khalab, and Blacksea Não Maya.

‘’All the remixes are very different from one another and I’m happy with them.

‘’The DJs have been very creative with what I’ve sent them, and they haven’t just simply put a beat under the track, they’ve really reconstructed it into something of their own.

‘’I hope people really enjoy it. I’m looking forward to it and its nice to bring different audiences together.

‘’You’ve got audiences who like club music and audiences who like jazz music, this allows these audiences to get to know each other.

‘’It’s a nice meeting point.’’

Doors open at 7.30pm

Early bird £12.50 / Advance £14.50 / Full £16.50

To book tickets for Yazz’ performace on Saturday 23rd June click here