Yinon Muallem is a name that resonates with rhythm, melody and cultural diversity. A multi-talented percussionist, composer and educator, Muallem's music blends Middle Eastern, North African and Western traditions, producing a unique sound that transcends borders and cultural barriers.

With a career spanning over two decades, Muallem has performed at prestigious venues and festivals across the globe, collaborating with renowned musicians and ensembles from different musical backgrounds.

Whether he is on stage, in the recording studio or in the classroom, Muallem's passion for music and cross-cultural exchange is palpable, making him a true ambassador of world music.

Now Muallem is set to perform in Istanbul's Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall on Saturday, accompanied by the talented Israeli singer and songwriter of Moroccan and Persian descent Mor Karbasi, who blends traditional Middle Eastern and Sephardic music with contemporary styles, creating unique and riveting tunes.

Before embarking on the upcoming concert, we had the pleasure of speaking with Muallem about his unique world of melodies.

"I was born in Israel in 1968. My parents were Iraqi Jews from Baghdad and they immigrated to Israel in 1950. As a child, I played the keyboard for years and I stopped, then I did something else, but after the army, just out of nowhere, I was interested in Latin percussion, so I started to take lessons and after the Latin percussion I moved to the Arabic percussion and to the oud and from there, I can just say that in a very natural way, the music kept me intrigued," he shed light on the beginning of his musical journey.

He drew inspiration from many things for his original compositions. "So on the surface, it's influenced by my roots as a Jew and Israeli, from my life in Türkiye for 20 years, from Turkish music and the different styles such as Ottoman gypsy, Sufi music, as you know there a million kinds in Turkish culture. Then I was influenced a lot by Istanbul, the city, the life, the sounds of the muezzin, seagulls and the atmosphere. I like to say that I generally like storytelling. I also wrote books. There is always a story in the music and there is music in my stories," he explained.

Muallem plays a variety of percussion instruments from the Mediterranean, Türkiye and India. The musician's father, a former classical violinist, gave him an old oud, which he initially struggled to play because of being left-handed and had little knowledge of the instrument. However, the musician felt a natural calling to the oud and began playing, sometimes his own compositions and sometimes compositions of other artists.

He emphasized he did not aim to be a virtuoso but to use his instruments to tell stories and enhance the music he plays. The oud, which is a significant instrument in the Mediterranean, holds a special place in the musician's heart and has become an integral part of his musical journey.

Yinon Muallem also served as an Israeli cultural attache in Istanbul. He explained the period and its contribution to his artistic practice: "It was not my DNA to sit in an office, but of course, in the time I was there, I tried to go on with what I liked to do, which connecting between the cultures and especially between the Israeli and the Turkish culture."

He also collaborated with many artists in his performances. "I like collaborations so much, but not in every way. I mean sometimes people bring famous guest artists because it brings them ratings and an audience, but it doesn't work for me, never. I need to have some connection with this artist, with the music, we should understand each other. So for me, a potential creative partner can be anyone who is open to music and whose ego is not so big, and who wants to play with others to gain experience. Of course, we want to make good music and I will not pick everybody as my partner, but that's basically the answer," he said.

In his Istanbul concert, Mor Karbasi will accompany Muallem. "I have known her for years. Once she came as a guest in a huge concert that I did in Jerusalem in the open theater. She sang the Morenica. It's an interesting story because she was in the ninth month of her pregnancy and still she came. Of course, I have amazing memories like these. I think she's a great singer and I just, you know, I'm really excited to see how it will be again to be together on stage, I believe it will be really, really nice," he explained his relationship with Karbasi.

Another artist who will take the stage with Muallem is ChanCe aka Şansın Tüzün. His meeting with the singer has quite an interesting anecdote.

"I had many meetings. I believe in meetings in life, you know, in spontaneous meetings. ChanCe found me, she called me and made me listen to the song she sang from Mor Karbasi and she wanted to perform its Turkish version. I was dubious in the beginning, but then I found she is an incredible artist, and what is very special is that we worked on about three songs that I produced, a few traditional songs, two of which we're going to sing in the concert. For all these songs, she wrote lyrics in Hebrew, from Arabic to Turkish. She sings beautifully and I really like the work we did together," Muallem commented.

Embracing all cultures through his performances, the artist shared he loves to celebrate what he does. "When I can do something between the cultures, doesn't matter if it's Palestinian, Arabic, Turkish, Israeli, it doesn't matter for me when I can do something with musicians from different religions and cultures, I feel much more satisfied," he added.

He expressed his excitement for the upcoming concert, saying that the audience should expect great music. During his performances, he likes to be open and communicate with the audience when necessary but prefers to let the music speak for itself. However, he acknowledged the significance of the concert, considering the recent earthquake and his return to Türkiye after two years.

Apart from his enthralling performances, Muallem was also highly engaged in music training in different countries, making it a tool for cultural interaction.

"My first project in 2001, even before my albums, was the DVD I made, and then it was just a video of Arabic percussion. Then I conducted ensembles in universities in Israel. I always like to teach, I always like to share, and I really like the interaction with students, so even after I moved to Scandinavia, I had a few chances to give workshops in prestigious institutions such as the Sibelius Academy in Finland, and the Royal Academy in Stockholm. It's even more interesting because they don't know this kind of music for example in Sweden, it was really interesting for people to experience Mediterranean melodies," he shared.