Absolutely stunning… A musical project unlike any other in the world.
Le Quotidien, 20.12.2018
An exquisite dialogue of cultures. A band that is sure to continue making waves.
L’instant M, 11.03.2020
Harkan’s concerts include contemporary creations as well as music from all around the Mediterranean (Turkish, North African, Levantine, Hispano-Andalusian, Persian, Italian and Greek) infused with a jazz twist and classical influences. As the rhythm builds up, fiery dances follow soothing ballads.
Harkan is the fruit of two years of research into folk and art music of the greater Mediterranean and MENA regions, collaborations with contemporary composers, and experiments to develop new playing techniques for both the harp and kanun in order to allow them to venture into foreign music cultures. The result is a highly innovative and diverse concert program accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
A delightful musical journey through a varied repertoire; the result of thoughtful arrangements that play on the proximity of timbres, and of the performers’ steadfast desire to break down boundaries and transcend the preconceived notions surrounding their instruments.
There is subtlety, on-stage charisma, technical mastery, sensitivity, and above all, the spellbinding fusion of the harp and the kanun. The notes of each instrument seem to embrace those of the other, savoring, for the length of a piece, a different culture.
La Presse, 03.08.2018
With Harkan, the Eastern qanun and the Western harp are in perfect harmony. They chatter playfully, answering and enriching each other. The band has already performed more than ten concerts across Tunisia, each drawing huge crowds – whether at Ennejma Ezzahra, the Municipal Theatre, the Abdelliya Palace, the Agora, the Sousse Museum, or the Hergla Festival.
Tunisie Direct, 19.02.2023
Trio Harkan offered the audience a true escape, transporting the packed crowd far and wide. For an hour and a half, music lovers were carried away by this Mediterranean soundscape shaped by a wealth of influences.
Le Journal de Saône et Loire, 24.01.2023
The pace is so exhilarating that the camera struggles to keep up with the dazzling dance of fingers on the strings.
Tunivisions, 28.02.2020
Seeing the European harp and Oriental qanun together is akin to watching two distant cousins realize they have so much to tell each other. Two instruments that resonate closely yet distinctly, responding seamlessly to one another under Harkan’s hands. A moment out of time and away from reality.
Tunisia Tourism, 27.12.2018