Wamla, at the Amman Jazz Festival

In this 11th edition of the Amman Jazz Festival, Instituto Cervantes in Amman is hosting “Wamla”, an original music project presented by the flutist Clara Gallardo and the pianist Julio Martín, together with the percussionist Nasrine Rahmani and the double bassist Paolo Furio Marasso. “Wamla” is a trip through the imagination, through landscapes and evocative sound worlds. 

Clara Gallardo is a versatile flutist from Malaga that has been trained in diverse artistic disciplines. With solid classic training, she moved to the Netherlands in 2013 to study World Music in Codarts, Rotterdam. Her link to Latin-American music, flamenco, Brazilian, Turkish, and Indian music has taken her to travel with very diverse projects throughout most of Europe, as well as Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, China, and India. She has other projects such as Zopli2, with the musician Joaquín Sánchez; she has collaborated with many renowned artists like Niño de Elche, Pepe Rivero, among others, and in multidisciplinary projects with Manuel Segovia, Carlos Marquerie, Javier Latorre, Cía. R.E.A. or UNO theatre. She has recorded BSOs, acted in radio and TVE (Spanish TV), and has composed music for shows. 

Julio Martín is a pianist, keyboard player, and producer. He was born in Madrid. He studied there and later on he decided to move to the Netherlands to study in Codarts, the University of Arts in Rotterdam, where he didn’t only focus on piano, but also other disciplines, such as singing, percussion, and musical production. He delved himself into jazz, Cuban and Brazilian music, engaging as well with other types of music like flamenco, pop, Indian music, Turkish music, etc. After 15 years as a professional musician, he started touring around most of Europe and Latin America, as well as China, Russia, and the United States, working with artists of different styles and musical genres. 

Nasrine Rahmani is a percussionist. She was born in Australia, daughter of a Mauritanian mother and an Iranian father. At the age of 15 she began studying Latin percussion with renowned percussionists in the region. After completing her Bachelor of Music (Improvisation) at the prestigious VCA in Melbourne, she worked in Cuba where she delved into the art of Afro-Cuban rumba for which she has a deep passion. After several meetings with flamenco musicians she became interested in the cajon, she settled in Madrid and came into contact with great percussionists and musicians residing in the capital.

After more than 16 years of professional career and 8 years residing in Madrid, she has built a reputation in Spain as one of the most outstanding representatives of the flamenco female percussion for her delicacy when accompanying musicians, and her surprising, powerful and deep knowledge of the improvisation language.

She has worked with great flamenco figures on the Spanish scene, and participated in projects ranging from pure flamenco to fusion. She has also collaborated as a studio performer on numerous recordings for musicians of very varied styles. She is a member of Diego Guerrero's band, in addition to being a percussionist, she organizes and programs the Diego Guerrero Jam that takes place at the Café Berlin in Madrid.

Paolo Furio Marasso is an Italian double bassist based in Madrid. Born in Genoa, Italy, he graduated in classical double bass from the Niccolo Paganini Conservatory and Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona. In his country he has made many collaborations with great swing musicians, such as Raphel Gualazzi, Renzo Luise and Mauro Porro, and with the Teatro della Tosse.

He also tours the world at festivals such as Heineken Jazz Festival with José James, Vitoria Jazz Festival, Gorizia, Torino. Since 2016 he resides in Madrid where he continues with several jazz projects: I