Miguel Merino, who graduated from UM in 2008, moved to Egypt recently.  He has been, in his words, "meeting different musicians and learning arabic and doing my thing."  Miguel visited Egypt  last year, at which time he was inspired by the virtuosity and musicality of Wa'el El-Fashny, an Egyptian percussionist who played virtually all of the Egyptian handrums, primarily the riq.  He knew from the first time he heard him play that Wa'el had something special.  Miguel travel back to Egypt in April 2009 primarily to learn more from Wa'el. 

After a short time, he began been performing with Fathy Salama, who plays oriental jazz, egyptian instruments, along with western, and oriental melodies, but with great arrangements.  With Fathy he hopes to perform his composition Agabat from his recital, which has a slow, camel-caravan groove.

He has also been playing in a roots Sudanese band, and hopes to go to Sudan in November.  Miguel says, that Sudan "sounds like one of richest and most diverse countries on the planet, and all my sudanese friends here are wonderful."

 
Miguel with Hassan Hollanda and his Sudanese band

Visit Miguel's blog at http://migialmasri.blogspot.com/