Biography - 2025
Abdullah Miniawy (born 1994) is 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, including the 72nd Festival d’Avignon, French national theaters, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Haus der Kunst in Munich, MAO Museum in Turin, Philharmonie de Paris, and even the Louvre in Paris.
Beyond his music, Abdullah showcased his acting talent in Ala Eddine Slim's Tunisian feature film Tlamess, which premiered at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. The film received critical acclaim, winning Best Full-Length Feature Film at Kino der Kunst 2020 and Best Director at the Marrakech International Film Festival in 2020. Abdullah was shortlisted for Best Actor by the Arab Cinema Center at Cannes. He also directed his first short film, Rain Ticket in 2021.
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.
His influence extends beyond the arts. In 2021, the European Parliament in Strasbourg selected Abdullah as one of three "change makers" from the Schengen area, inviting him to share his French-Egyptian perspective on contemporary issues at the European Youth Event’s “Live Fully” section. He also took part in "Europe Takes Part," a forum of 30 diverse speakers discussing economic models and digital solutions for artists in a post-pandemic world. 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. Theirfollow-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.
As a writer, Abdullah's lyrics resonate deeply across the Middle East, especially during the Arab Spring, where they were displayed in places like Syria's Yarmouk Camp, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab and Western countries. In early 2022, he released his first collection of stories, Extinguishing The City of Lights.
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.
Each performance has been met with standing ovations and has left audiences with unforgettable moments.
on tour 2025 ;
Abdullah Miniawy - Nigma Enigma (solo)
Abdullah Miniawy (TRIO ; with Robinson Khoury Trombone, Jules Boittin Trombone) (inv. Erik Truffaz)
Abdullah Miniawy and Maurice Louca
Previous Projects :
Le Cri du Caire
Abdullah Miniawy & A Filetta
Abdullah Miniawy & Carl Gari
Abdullah Miniawy & Simo Cell
Road2024
Road2023
Road2022
Road2021c
Road2020
Road2019
Road2018
Road - 2025
16/01/25: Les bords de scènes - Juvisy-sur-Orge, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
17/01/25: La Cave - Argenteuil, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
25/01/25: Théâtre de la Ville - Paris, France w/ A Filleta
31/01/25: Berlin, Germany Lecture at CTM: "What Lasts" by Abdullah Miniawy
02/02/25: CTM Festival - Berlin, Germany Trio Performance
24-27/02/25: Massy-Paris, France Live show residency
28/02/25: Paris, France Release Party: Nigma Enigma TBA
14/03/25: Italy TBD Abdullah Miniawy Solo
15/03/25: Italy TBD Abdullah Miniawy Solo
22/03/25: Banlieues Bleues - Paris, France w/ Maurice Louca
28/03/25: Florence, Italy Abdullah Miniawy Solo
01/04/25: The Black Lab - Lille, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
02/04/25: L'Étincelle - Rouen, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
03/04/25: Memorial - France Trio w/ Erik Truffaz
04/04/25: Electronica Festival - Madrid, Spain w/ Maurice Louca
05/04/25: Copenhagen, Denmark Trio
06/04/25: Stockholm, Sweden Trio
07/04/25: North tour TBD Trio
08/04/25: Aarhus, Denmark Trio
12/04/25: Effet Camp - Tunisia w/ Maurice Louca
17/04/25: TBD
07/05/25: La Gare Le Gore, Paris – Guest on Robinson Khoury Residency
29/05/25: Nuit sonores, Lyon France w/ Simo cELL
07/06/25: TBD
04/07/25: TBD
14/07/25: TBD
31/07/25: Dekmantel Festival - Amsterdam, Netherlands W/ Simo Cell Release Party
02/08/25: TBD
06/08/25: Mans Alors Festival - France Trio performance
09-10/08/25: Chamonix, France Improvisation w/ SpecialGuest
May-Jun 2025: Netherlands and Belgium TBD
12/13/09/ 2025: Switzerland TBD
Oct 2025: Italy TBD
07-08/11/25 TBD
Dec 2025: TBD
16/01/25: Les bords de scènes - Juvisy-sur-Orge, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
17/01/25: La Cave - Argenteuil, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
25/01/25: Théâtre de la Ville - Paris, France w/ A Filleta
31/01/25: Berlin, Germany Lecture at CTM: "What Lasts" by Abdullah Miniawy
02/02/25: CTM Festival - Berlin, Germany Trio Performance
24-27/02/25: Massy-Paris, France Live show residency
14/03/25: Italy TBD Abdullah Miniawy Solo
15/03/25: Italy TBD Abdullah Miniawy Solo
22/03/25: Banlieues Bleues - Paris, France w/ Maurice Louca
28/03/25: Florence, Italy Abdullah Miniawy Solo
01/04/25: The Black Lab - Lille, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
02/04/25: L'Étincelle - Rouen, France Last of Le Cri Du Caire
03/04/25: Memorial - France Trio w/ Erik Truffaz
04/04/25: Electronica Festival - Madrid, Spain w/ Maurice Louca
05/04/25: Copenhagen, Denmark Trio
06/04/25: Stockholm, Sweden Trio
07/04/25: North tour TBD Trio
08/04/25: Aarhus, Denmark Trio
12/04/25: Effet Camp - Tunisia w/ Maurice Louca
17/04/25: TBD
29-30/04/25: Gabès, Tunisia Residency – New creation
07/05/25: La Gare Le Gore, Paris – Guest on Robinson Khoury Residency
29/05/25: Nuit sonores, Lyon France w/ Simo cELL
30/05/25: Bucharest, Romania Solo
07/06/25: TBD
04/07/25: TBD
14/07/25: TBD
31/07/25: Dekmantel Festival - Amsterdam, Netherlands W/ Simo Cell Release Party
02/08/25: TBD
06/08/25: Mans Alors Festival - France Trio performance
09-10/08/25: Chamonix, France Improvisation w/ SpecialGuest
May-Jun 2025: Netherlands and Belgium TBD
12/13/09/ 2025: Switzerland TBD
Oct 2025: Italy TBD
07-08/11/25 TBD
Dec 2025: TBD
There's a tendency in art to segregate practitioners into particular fields and spheres of influence, with any detour seen as either miraculous aberration or horrifying anathema. In this context, the mere existence of an interdisciplinary artist— in the fullest sense of the word—like Egypt's Abdullah Miniawy becomes an affront to preconceived ideas. A poet, rapper, Sufi singer, and trumpeter during youth, Miniawy has since explored composition, acting, writing, programming, and multimedia art. His politically charged, religiously questioning lyrics and poems and genre-hopping style draw from myriad cultures, advocating an enlightened global gathering and proselytizing empathy as the only way forward.
In the realm of music, Miniawy has touched upon everything from jazz (the dazzling Le Cri Du Caire with Erik Truffaz) to Arabic hip-hop (solo and with the trio Arabian Knightz) and club music (with the trio Carl Gari), while also contributing to albums like Ziúr's Eyeroll. Two pages in the magazine wouldn't be enough to fit all his projects. Usually a dedicated collaborator whose soaring, pitch-bending singing elevates each piece of music it lands on, his first truly solo album Nigma Enigma—which comes accompanied by a video game he coded—ventures into a more oblique direction. Shaped around noisy, haunting electronic miniatures filled with disintegrating beats and rusty synths, the material is stretched as required to fit the story of a spiritual odyssey. On "Heaven For Non-Believers," Miniawy layers the crackle of burning fire over a sustained then modulated deep tone, his glistening voice carving through the dense fabric. Elsewhere, "The Lord Of The Whip" sees him press urgent, pleading spoken word against clouds of static and spectral melodies. While most lyrics here are in Arabic, the music's language is universally understood.