Duo BoMi: The classical music of Lebanon and Kurdistan takes root in Quebec

Interview by Frédéric Cardin
Genres and styles : Classical

Additional Information

Artists who create a meaningful project during the pandemic, there have been many, and it is very fortunate because it is the best example of the transcendent power of Art: turning the worst into a springboard for the best. The pianists of the BoMi duo, the Quebecois Michel-Alexandre Broekaert and Boran Zaza (of Kurdish origin), are of this kind. It was during the lockdown that the couple had the idea to play the music of composers from West Asia (commonly known as the Middle East), Lebanon, Kurdistan, Iran, etc., and to make it the heart of a concert program that also includes Ravel, Fazil Say, Khachaturian, Massenet, etc. The pandemic over, the first concerts were given and, with success on their side, they continued. Then, to have a little something to offer the audience, the duo has just released a short album, an EP, titled Du Liban au Kurdistan, which brings together compositions by the Lebanese Maurice Ghanem and the Kurdish composer Brahim Shexo. An album of beautiful melodies, little known here, and which I reviewed elsewhere on the site.

CHECK OUT THE REVIEW OF THE ALBUM DU LIBAN AU KURDISTAN

In order to shed some light on the initiative undertaken, on the works of these lesser-known composers, and on their love for piano duets, I met with Michel-Alexandre and Boran. Here is the interview:

Latest 360 Content

Domaine Forget 2026 | Mathieu Lussier and the discovery of French music

Domaine Forget 2026 | Mathieu Lussier and the discovery of French music

Domaine Forget 2026 | Final concert under Flowers and Crowns

Domaine Forget 2026 | Final concert under Flowers and Crowns

Orientalys 2026 | Saturday Night Bollywood Fever

Orientalys 2026 | Saturday Night Bollywood Fever

Discover Le Qafila: a pop, Sufi fusion, Indian bhangra group in Montreal

Discover Le Qafila: a pop, Sufi fusion, Indian bhangra group in Montreal

Orientalys 2026 | Kabyle All-Night Event, “A Sensitive Journey Through Memory”

Orientalys 2026 | Kabyle All-Night Event, “A Sensitive Journey Through Memory”

Domaine Forget 2026 | Timeless and Classical Viennese Music: Dialogues Between Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart…and Labadie

Domaine Forget 2026 | Timeless and Classical Viennese Music: Dialogues Between Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart…and Labadie

Orientalys 2026 | Rakcha Band, A Jazz-Funk-Fusion Group from Tunisia now Based in Montreal

Orientalys 2026 | Rakcha Band, A Jazz-Funk-Fusion Group from Tunisia now Based in Montreal

Orientalys | DJ Mina, from classical singing to DJing

Orientalys | DJ Mina, from classical singing to DJing

Orientalys 2026 | August 13–16: The Festival’s Highlights!

Orientalys 2026 | August 13–16: The Festival’s Highlights!

Présence autochtone | Waiting for the (real) Great Peace of MTL, Forestare, Joséphine Bacon, Richard Desjardins and many others on stage

Présence autochtone | Waiting for the (real) Great Peace of MTL, Forestare, Joséphine Bacon, Richard Desjardins and many others on stage

Orientalys 2026 | Qi Shen and Jasmine Xu, an erhu/piano duo, mother/daughter, to discover

Orientalys 2026 | Qi Shen and Jasmine Xu, an erhu/piano duo, mother/daughter, to discover

Présence autochtone | Leonard Sumner, another perspective for songwriting

Présence autochtone | Leonard Sumner, another perspective for songwriting

Orientalys 2026 | Alex Iskandar: Ambassador of Central Asian Traditions in Montreal

Orientalys 2026 | Alex Iskandar: Ambassador of Central Asian Traditions in Montreal

Présence Autochtone I Rei Speaks About His ‘Haka’ Rap

Présence Autochtone I Rei Speaks About His ‘Haka’ Rap

Domesicle Series: The Story of Sister Zo

Domesicle Series: The Story of Sister Zo

Airborne strings in the Parks of Montreal with Andrei Feher and the Orchestre classique de Montréal

Airborne strings in the Parks of Montreal with Andrei Feher and the Orchestre classique de Montréal

Présence autochtone 2026 | We talk about the Programming with the Director

Présence autochtone 2026 | We talk about the Programming with the Director

Concerts aux Îles du Bic | Samaqani Cocahq Gives Voice to Wolastoq Traditions

Concerts aux Îles du Bic | Samaqani Cocahq Gives Voice to Wolastoq Traditions

Concerts aux Îles du Bic | Pierre-Luc Lecours and the Ensemble Modulaire: Between Sound, Image, and the Moment

Concerts aux Îles du Bic | Pierre-Luc Lecours and the Ensemble Modulaire: Between Sound, Image, and the Moment

Concerts aux Îles du Bic | Andrea Stewart: “We’re always creating”

Concerts aux Îles du Bic | Andrea Stewart: “We’re always creating”

Lanaudière 2026 | Saskia Giorgini : The Italian Piano

Lanaudière 2026 | Saskia Giorgini : The Italian Piano

Lanaudière 2026 | The Romantic Exaltation of Beethoven to Tchaikovsky: Veronika Eberle Speaks to Us About It

Lanaudière 2026 | The Romantic Exaltation of Beethoven to Tchaikovsky: Veronika Eberle Speaks to Us About It

Concerts au Îles du Bic – Boldness and community feeling, on the banks of the Bas-du-Fleuve

Concerts au Îles du Bic – Boldness and community feeling, on the banks of the Bas-du-Fleuve

Nuits d’Afrique 2026 | Forro das Comadres: the Women’s Forro

Nuits d’Afrique 2026 | Forro das Comadres: the Women’s Forro

Subscribe to our newsletter

Inscription
Infolettre

"*" indicates required fields

Type of Suscribers