Madrid-based Mohama Saz creates music rooted in Mediterranean traditions, blending centuries-old musical influences with improvisation and psychedelic rock. Their uncommon sound makes them a band that leaves a lasting impression.
Mohama Saz last performed in Houston two years ago and they will return to Houston to reunite with fellow psychedelic band India Tigers In Texas for a performance at Dan Electroโs on Thursday, July 23. โWe are really looking forward to being there again,โ says drummer Adriรกn Ceballos.
During their previous (and first) trip to Houston, Ceballos says “The energy was phenomenal. People all over Texas are very welcoming,” adding that the band has long been aware of Texasโ foothold in the history of psychedelic rock.ย ย
Mohama Saz has been pushing sonic boundaries and blending cultural references since 2014. The lineup features Ceballos, his brother Sergio on bass, Iรฑigo Garcรฉs on synthesizers, and Javier Alonso on the band’s signature instrument, the electric baฤlama saz.
The band began almost as a joke, Ceballos recalls. All of the band members had spent years playing in Spain’s underground music scene before forming Mohama Saz with everyoneโs previous projects being rooted in rock and roll.
Alonso took a trip toย Istanbul where he commissioned a luthier to buildย himย an electricย baฤlama, a traditionalย long-neckedย string instrumentย that isย predominantly usedย in folk music and played acoustically.ย ย
When he showed his friends and collaborators his new instrument, they had a rehearsal where they began improvising with it. โItโs true we had always listened to Anatolian rock, Turkishbands who tried to make Anglo-Saxon rock and roll but they sounded Turkish,โ he says naming influences like Erkin Koray and Barฤฑล Manรงo.
A friend heard them rehearsing and wasย very impressedย and asked them to play his birthday party.ย The bandmates explained to him that they were just messingย aroundย but he insisted so theย groupย wrote and practiced about 30 minutes of material. ย ย
At theย partyย the crowd went wild for their unorthodoxย soundย and the band knew they were on to something.ย โWe were in the scene, very underground, and this has so much potential. It was like suddenly discovering something new to express; now we can do whatever we feel likeโfrom a melody fromย Turkeyย or the Andes to a tradition from right here in Spain, like flamenco. A doorย opened upย to do anything.โย ย
Following the response, theย baฤlamaโsย distinctive tone quickly became the defining voice of Mohamaย Saz’sย music.ย Theyย knew instinctively thatย the project should stand apart from theirย previousย bands.ย Ceballosย explains howย the thought of another rock bandย actuallyย felt boring to them allย at that time.ย ย
โWith this project, the idea was to create rock music thatย didn’tย have Anglo-Saxon rootsโno blues, noย British or U.S. influences, and nothing resembling standard rock ‘n’ roll.ย Thatโsย why we started exploring and incorporating sounds from other places.โย
Rather than reproducing traditional folk music, Mohama Saz filters melodies and rhythms from across the Mediterranean through improvisation, fuzzed-out guitars, synthesizers and driving percussion.
When asked if people are often surprised the band is from Madrid, Ceballos says they are but people should realize that there are many similarities between the sounds of the Andalucia region of Spain and the sounds of northern Africa.
โItโs not like weโre in Madrid making music from Sweden or Russia; I mean, it makes senseโitโs connected.โ
Mohama Saz is now six albums into their career with each release showing audiences just how deep they can travel with their hypnotic sounds and otherworldly harmonies and rich textures in their songs. Their latest project, Ven Al Fuego, is a double LP live album that really showcases the band’s strength as a live act.
โThis is clearly a live band; that energy and the type of rhythms create a very organic feelโitโs something meant to be experienced in person. While there are melodic elements, it is above all music to be heard in the moment.โ
Mohama Saz will perform with India Tigers In Texas on Thursday, July 23, 8 p.m at Dan Electro’s, 1031 E. 24th. For more information visit danelectros.com
