Today, North African, LA-based singer-songwriter Ami Taf Ra announces her debut album, The Prophet and The Madman, arriving August 22 via Brainfeeder. A transcendent, sonic palate cleanser that draws from Moroccan gnawa, gospel, and spiritual jazz, the album is a personal and poetic meditation on duality, healing, and ancestral memory. Inspired by Khalil Gibran’s seminal work, The Prophet, Ami Taf Ra’s album was produced by legendary saxophonist composer and her frequent collaborator Kamasi Washington. Arriving alongside the announcement is Ami Taf Ra’s powerful new single and video “How I Became A Madman” featuring Kamasi Washington. With soaring arrangements and entrancing emotional arcs, the track captures the tension between inner chaos and clarity—a central theme of the forthcoming album. Set across Los Angeles’s Leimert Park and against the striking forms of Thomas Houseago’s sculpture garden, the music video, directed by Cleon Arrey (co-owner of Neighbors Skate Shop), is shot in a lyrical mix of slow motion and quick cuts, the visuals mirroring the song’s frenetic pulse.
“How I Became A Madman” follows the release of “Speak To Us (Outro)”, Ami Taf Ra’s Brainfeeder debut, praised for its emotional depth and the accompanying video’s striking visual storytelling. Her upcoming album expands that sonic vision into a richly textured 11-track journey, featuring collaborators including Ryan Porter, Miles Mosley, Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin, Taylor Graves, Cameron Graves, Ronald Bruner Jr., Allakoi Peete, Kahlil Cummings, and Kamasi Washington. Ami Taf Ra’s The Prophet and The Madman is a bold statement from a vocalist rooted in the traditions of Arabic greats like Fairuz, Umm Kulthum and Warda, yet reaching fearlessly into new sonic territory. It’s an album that seeks not answers but presence—a devotion to the journey, not the destination.
Over the course of her career, Ami Taf Ra has graced stages worldwide, captivating audiences in Denmark, Turkey, Morocco, Belgium, Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan. She has performed at esteemed festivals like the South East Jazz Festival and the Haarlem Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, as well as with the Dutch Royal Metropole Orchestra at the Royal Concert Hall (Concertgebouw) and the Dutch Blazers Ensemble. Ami has toured extensively with Kamasi Washington, performing together at notable venues and festivals across the United States including City Winery in Boston, the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, and the Just Jazz Concert Series at Mr Musichead Gallery in Los Angeles. She has also performed with a diverse array of musicians, including trombonist Ryan Porter, saxophonist Rickey Washington, percussionist Kahlil Cummings, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Jonathan Pinson, and pianist Jamael Dean. On June 25, Ami Taf Ra will preview the new music at an intimate debut showcase at Arthur’s Tavern in New York City. This fall, Ami Taf Ra will embark on a North American headline tour kicking off September 22 at the renowned Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. For more information and tickets, visit https://amitafra.com/#tour.
Ami Taf Ra’s deep commitment to music as a tool for connection and healing has taken her beyond the stage and into communities impacted by displacement and conflict. In conjunction with a group of Dutch musicians, she led creative workshops for children, using music and painting to spark expression. The experience culminated in a collaborative performance that brought together the children, the musicians, and Ami Taf Ra as the opening act of the Amman Jazz Festival in 2014.
Today, Ami Taf Ra continues to explore the fusion of cultures through music, crafting a sound that honors her heritage while embracing new influences through different languages and nationalities. With every performance, she strives to connect people, stories, and traditions across borders. Ami Taf Ra's work stands as a testament to the power of cultural fusion in music, bridging continents and traditions to create a sound that is both timeless and contemporary.
PRE-SAVE THE PROPHET AND THE MADMAN https://amitafra.lnk.to/prophetmadman
LISTEN TO “HOW I BECAME A MADMAN” https://amitafra.lnk.to/prophetmadmanPR
WATCH THE THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “HOW I BECAME A MADMAN” https://amitafra.lnk.to/prophetmadman/youtube
LISTEN TO “SPEAK TO US (OUTRO)” https://amitafra.lnk.to/stu-outro
WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “SPEAK TO US (OUTRO)” https://amitafra.lnk.to/stu-outro/youtube
ALBUM TRACKLIST
1. Speak to Us (Intro) 2. How I Became a Madman (feat. Kamasi Washington) 3. The Prophet 4. God 5. Love (feat. Ryan Porter) 6. My Friend (feat. Brandon Coleman) 7. Children 8. Gnawa (feat. Kamasi Washington) 9. Gibran 10. Khalil 11. Speak to Us (Outro)
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