2019 WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR | Ayrad | | The JUNO Awards

Ayrad fuses the talents of musicians hailing from different backgrounds: singer, guitarist and composer of Moroccan origin Hamza Abouabdelmajid, Annick Beauvais (oboe, vocals), Anit Ghosh (violin, vocals), Kattam Laraki- Côté (drums, vocals), Sylvain Plante (drums, percussion) and Gabriel Brochu-Lajoie (bass, keyboard). Ayrad is a band that never hesitates to transgress musical boundaries. Their second album Zoubida is more contemporary and accessible than its predecessor. This rock and pop album explores and integrates different genres such as electro, gypsy funk, desert rock, rai, Bhangra, hip hop and even Afro-Peruvian grooves. Their homonymous album, released in 2014, has garnered many awards and mentions, including Music Arranger of the Year at 2015 Gala de l’ADISQ and a 2015 JUNO nomination for World Music Album of the Year, among others. This album has allowed the group to perform concerts across Canada and internationally (Scotland, Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia).