With a decade of live experience and three releases in the last couple of years, Brussels-based band Azmari has become a cornerstone of the Belgian music scene. Formed in 2015, Azmari fuses psych-funk, Afrobeat, Ethio-jazz, and dub, drawing inspiration from African and Oriental music as well as funk and dub. Over the years, their sound has evolved by embracing new influences, including Arabic melodies and textures.
Heavily influenced by the legendary ‘Éthiopiques’ album series and a ten-day performance stint in Istanbul, the band’s ears were opened to Turkish sounds and rhythms from the ’60s. By infusing Turkish and Ethiopian scales and incorporating instruments such as the berimbau, ney, and bağlama, Azmari has crafted a rebellious, hypnotic, and unrelenting sound.
Their first EP, Ekera (2019), laid the foundations, while their debut LP Sama'î (2021) further cemented their commitment to rebel against any genre pigeonholing and music expectations. With their latest album, Maelström (2023), they deepened their sound through keyboard textures, roaring saxophones, and polyrhythmic structures, further solidifying their reputation as an entertaining live band. Their music garnered acclaim from notable magazine outlets such as Songlines, Shindig! and Uncut, while also earning support from radio stations like BBC Radio, Worldwide FM, Radio Nova, FIP and KCRW. From Istanbul to Rome, Vienna to Bordeaux, and Berlin to Geneva, Azmari has toured extensively throughout Europe, and in 2025, they will continue that adventure.
As the band moves into 2025, this new year marks a turning point for the quintet. They played their final concert in their current formation at the end of 2024, with one of the saxophonists departing to pursue new paths. Instead of dwelling on the change, the four remaining founding members see it as a chance for new possibilities.
For their upcoming five-track EP In Oculis, Azmari is teaming up with French musician and longtime collaborator Guillaume Souffrice (alias Mosso Mosso), who was the band’s guitarist in its early days. A trained clinical music therapist, Souffrice has spent years studying diverse musical traditions and rhythms. After leaving the band in 2017, he immersed himself in the world of Gnawa music in Morocco, delved into the daf in Iranian Kurdistan, and explored the classical shehnai (Indian oboe) in northern India.
With the ambition of weaving these three traditional instruments into their new EP, Azmari invited Guillaume back into the studio. In Oculis will serve as a bridge between their past and future, blending their signature sound with newfound textures and influences. As they look ahead to their next LP, due out next year, this collaboration promises to be a fertile and dynamic exchange, offering a fresh perspective on their ever-evolving sound.
