“A lot of what we start out with is traditional melodies, traditional songs from both the blues or various Arabic folkloric or semi-classical music,” Native Egyptian percussionist Nagi adds. “The innovation is in our delivery, in how we interpret these songs.”

Their west coast tour will also take them to Berkeley, Seattle and Los Angeles. The duo will be releasing a new album, titled Deserted, during this tour.

Amplifying sound

The Arab Blues’ music also embodies Gabriel’s and Nagi’s reactions to xenophobia, dehumanization and prejudice against people of Arab heritage.

“The music being loud and being strong is parallel to our feelings about our identity and our heritage in that we feel proud of it,” says Nagi. “We feel that we don’t need to hide and be tame or be watered down in any way.”

For Nagi, their music also emphasizes their right to innovate and be different.

“Even if you do something different that hasn’t been done before, everything you are doing is informed and grounded in something that you share with other people,” shares Gabriel.

The duo met five years ago when Nagi moved to Chicago. Gabriel, who had been living in Chicago for around a decade, heard about Nagi via another musician.

“I gave him a call, and we did a show together,” recalls Gabriel. “It went so well – we covered so much ground, just the two of us, and we thought, ‘Let’s just keep going with this unit, just two on stage.’”

“I think neither of us want to be a cover band or a latest hits group,” adds Nagi. “We want things to reflect our own personalities, and the times we live in.”

The audience can expect improvisation – the duo may adapt how a song is repeated or formed.

They also work to amplify each instrument’s sound, creating what Nagi calls “additional sonorities.” He adds that this “powerful sounding” effect reflects what they “hear in [their] minds” – in addition to the musical traditions.

“Maybe the song is doubled, maybe it is echoed,” he explains. “Many people tell us that we sound like more than two people, or they are surprised that we are just two people.”

Power behind the music

For the duo, the audience plays a major role in this improvisation. Gabriel adds that they are a “highly flexible band” – one that sees each concert as unique, even when they are held in the same city.

“We’re playing Arabic music, we’re Arabic people, we’re drawing from the Arabic tradition,” says Gabriel, who is a Lebanese Egyptian oud and guitar player. “The blues is a type of emotional music – it’s a type of lament, of feeling things through music.”

With three nights in Vancouver, The Arab Blues will use audience reaction from the first night to determine their performances on remaining nights.

“After the first night, we are going to see what people respond to, and that makes a big difference on what song becomes meaningful and enjoyable to us too,” explains Nagi, emphasizing they do not play the same set every night. “If someone came and saw us three times, I think they would enjoy all three [shows].”

The upcoming Kay Meek concerts will be Gabriel’s first time playing in Vancouver, and a return for Nagi, who performed here around 11 years ago.

While both musicians have their original compositions, the duo is aware that diasporic audiences may expect to hear traditional music.

“You’ll hear how we feel about prejudice and xenophobia even though we never mention or talk about it,” says Nagi. “You will hear it in our music. I think in many cases, our own music ends up sounding like it belongs with the traditional music.”

For more information on the upcoming Vancouver concerts, see www.kaymeek.com/events/the-arab-blues-2025-12-11-730-pm/.

For more information on The Arab Blues, see www.thearabblues.com