Instruments

Jim Grippo has been performing Middle Eastern music on the qanun and oud for 23 years in the UCSB Middle East Ensemble and other professional groups. In Egypt, he learned from masters Hussein Saber (oud) and Alaa Saber (qanun), and performed with sha‘bi wedding bands all over Cairo. Jim earned a BA and MA in ethnomusicology at UCSB, focused on Egyptian popular music, media, and culture. He has several publications based on his research on Egyptian sha‘bi music culture.

In addition to being featured as one of the main soloists in the UCSB Middle East Ensemble, Jim also performs with Georges & Elias Lammam, Souren Baronian, Rowan Storm, Afif Taian, Naser Musa, and a myriad of music ensembles in diverse traditions, such as Roma and Balkan. He is also a sought-after recording artist, featured on film, television, and studio albums such as Gorillaz “The Fall,” FX’s “Tyrant,” IMAX “Arabia 3D,” and Fishtank Ensemble “Edge of the World,” to name a few.