Abdullah Miniawy

EMS welcomes Guest composer Abdullah Miniawy (born 1994), an Egyptian expressionist, writer, singer, composer, 3D generalist (programmer) and actor. Over the years, he has shared the stage with celebrated artists like Erik Truffaz, Kamilya Jubran, Yom, Médéric Collignon, Aly Talibab, A Filetta, Hvad, Ziur, Zuli, Simo Cell, Maurice Louca, and many others. Abdullah has performed at prestigious international venues and festivals.

As a composer, Abdullah has composed soundtracks for dance, theater, and exhibitions, including Wael Shawki’s Cabaret Crusades III, premiered at MoMA PS1; Kirsten Dehlholm’s AMDUAT, premiered at Hotel Pro Forma; Insurrection by Jilani Saadi; and On the Hill by Belhassen Handous.

Since 2015, Abdullah has collaborated with the German trio Carl Gari, blending avant-garde electronic sounds with his poetic lyrics. Their debut album, Darraje, was named one of the top 50 albums of 2016 by NPR. Their follow-up, The Act of Falling from the 8th Floor, received acclaim from Pitchfork, The Quietus, and Wire Magazine, while the track “Zawaj” topped Resident Advisor’s list of “Deep Listening” tracks in 2019.
In 2023, Abdullah’s album Le Cri du Caire, featuring Erik Truffaz, won the Les Victoires du Jazz award—the French equivalent of the Grammy Awards—achieving global distribution and acclaim.

To date, Miniawy has created or collaborated on nearly 700 shows and cultural exchanges across Europe and beyond, with up to 80 live performances scheduled worldwide for the 2023-2024 season.