Fareed Haque
Fareed Haque Group
Casseus!
By fusing the European classical tradition with Haitian folk elements, Frantz Casseus, the “father of Haitian classical guitar” developed a distinctive vocabulary on his instrument that was at once full of contrapuntal complexity and teeming with driving rhythm. Those qualities caught the ear of Chicago-based Fareed Haque, a modern guitar virtuoso. “As I began playing through it the biggest epiphany for me was feeling that this was not exclusively classical guitar music but music that had an ensemble conception behind it. And as I learned more about him, I discovered that he rearranged and recomposed these pieces many times.”
As Haque began adapting Casseus’ solo guitar pieces for his working quintet he found that both players and audience alike were energized by them. “We started playing these tunes in my band and it was such a groove,” he recalled. “We had one rehearsal and then we played in front of an audience for the first time at Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. There are such strong ideas in Casseus’ music,” said Haque. “It definitely comes out of the melodic tradition of Haitian music, so there’s an inherent connection to the French language, French phrasing, French words, French impressionistic music. I’m sure the influence of Ravel and Debussy was very strong in someone like Casseus. So it is elegant music with a French feeling in there, but there’s also an African feeling coming through in the rhythm. And to me, if you could take all of this incredible impressionistic music and distill it down to its essence and put it on one guitar, that would be Casseus.”
– from liner notes by Bill Milkowski
Flat Earth Ensemble
By fusing the European classical tradition with Haitian folk elements, Frantz Casseus, the “father of Haitian classical guitar” developed a distinctive vocabulary on his instrument that was at once full of contrapuntal complexity and teeming with driving rhythm. Those qualities caught the ear of Chicago-based Fareed Haque, a modern guitar virtuoso. “As I began playing through it the biggest epiphany for me was feeling that this was not exclusively classical guitar music but music that had an ensemble conception behind it. And as I learned more about him, I discovered that he rearranged and recomposed these pieces many times.”
Fareed Haque’s Flat Earth Ensemble is a group that realizes the musical vision Haque has had for decades. During his years at Blue Note records, touring nationally with jam greats Garaj Mahal, or in his many projects with Sting, Paquito Rivera, Joe Zawinul or Zakir Hussein, Haque has long sought to record the new sounds that were as much a part of him as his DNA. The musical mission of Flat Earth Ensemble is to incorporate the charismatic dance and folk music of his Punjabi roots in India and Pakistan with the traditions of American jazz and funk. Utilizing the finest players from opposite sides of the world, Flat Earth Ensemble molds the sounds of different worlds into a dynamic, contemporary sound. The result is music that reverberates from the tubes of guitar amplifiers to the streets of Mumbai.
Fareed Haque & His Funk Bros.
“Fareed Haque and his Funk Bros. This band is so special, so titanic, that superlatives want to spill out all over the screen.” Music Marauders, June 2017. Fareed is Fareed Haque, former guitar wizard with Garaj Mahal, Joe Zawinul and now with fusion drum legend Billy Cobham. World Soul/Jazz. The funk Bros. is a collective of soulful, crazy, funky, true jazz musicians who are not afraid to groove, rock and get sweaty. Come dance with us!
Fareed Haque & His Funk Bros.
“Fareed Haque and his Funk Bros. This band is so special, so titanic, that superlatives want to spill out all over the screen.” Music Marauders, June 2017. Fareed is Fareed Haque, former guitar wizard with Garaj Mahal, Joe Zawinul and now with fusion drum legend Billy Cobham. World Soul/Jazz. The funk Bros. is a collective of soulful, crazy, funky, true jazz musicians who are not afraid to groove, rock and get sweaty. Come dance with us!