Tunisian Oud player, Jean-Pierre Smadja aka Smadj will entertain Kigali revellers at the Heaven Restaurant on Friday starting at 7pm.

Oud is a popular traditional musical instrument in Tunisia.

The singer, who blends jazz, traditional Arabic and Andalusia compositions, will perform alongside renowned French saxophonist Denis Guivarch, Algeria’s Sofiane Saidi and South African maestro Bopape Nshtepe.

Josselin Brémaud, the head of Communications at the French Institute, said all is set for Smadj to rock Kigali.

"This is Smadj’s first concert in the country. He is expected to perform in four countries including Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia,” Brémaud explained.

The concert is organised by the Institut Français (Paris) and Institut Français du Rwanda with support from the city of Lyon (France).

(Spring revolution song by Smadj. Source: Mixbrostv/YouTube)

"All the cultural events organised by the Institut Français du Rwanda are free. We consider it as the only way to make these events open to everybody, and to promote artists from different backgrounds, including the local industry.

Our music studio, located at the Goethe Institut, is open to all Rwandan musicians for free,” Brémaud added.

Smadj is expected to perform songs from his popular album Fuck The DJ.

The Tunisian born Jean-Pierre Smadja was influenced from an early age by an eclectic mix of oriental and Brazilian music, jazz, funk and soul. The singer has since gained international recognition, as one of the greatest virtuosos of Oud, which is a category that falls under the electronic music genre.

Smadj expresses an extraordinary breadth of influences, from oriental to Brazilian music, to jazz, funk and soul. His albums include Equilibriste (CD), New Deal, Take It and Drive, Fuck The DJ, Il Est Fou and Etrange, among others.