BEJE is completing a new album in 2026 called ‘Sumud Dance’, after the title of a track by David Mowat. ‘Sumud’ in Arabic means steadfastness or resilience. The album is dedicated to all people, not least Palestinians, who hold resiliently to hope and human decency in the face of oppression and suffering.
In this particular line-up of BEJE (it’s hard to keep track for our followers as there are several BEJE projects) are (left to right) Andy Hamill on double bass, whom David first played with in 1994-5 in the Timshel Quintet, Knud Stuwe on oud, Tim Funnell on piano, Paolo Adamo drums.
Next, adding a gorgeous dimension is special guest Faris Ishaq on nay and far right myself, David Mowat.
HERE IS A SAMPLE TRACK Dark Cloud Lifting by Knud, though the collective improv that occupies most of the track says we all had a hand in it.
Listen out for the most soulful double bass solo ever!
We like our new album. It’s a sublime melding of Middle Eastern and Western Classical instruments; oud, trumpet, double bass and piano and drums, with Faris adding nay to the BEJE sound. It reaches in music, words and improvisation to rapturous expressions of beauty and hope through life’s dark passages: personal, social and planetary.
There’s strong melody, spoken word, group improvisation, jazz-rock and Middle Eastern rhythms. Knud, David and Tim have composed for it and Faris has offered one of his compositions.
The album story ‘Sumud Dance’ is the fruit of engagement with Palestine and Palestinians over my whole life. My Dad, Hugh Mowat, was a conscientious objector with the British army occupying Palestine in 1946. I grew up with his stories. I have visited as walking pilgrim, activist and human rights worker . Then in 2018 my main collaborator Knud Stuwe, guitarist turned oud player and I met Faris in his home town, Beit Sahour in Palestine on a British Council-funded music project (Longing Belonging and Balfour described in chaiforall.com) . There we jammed together, along with other Beit Sahour luminaries including Shafiq Alsadi and singer Zaid Hilal, and a connection was made.
Faris then went to Berklee USA to study at the Global Jazz Institute where he received ‘student of the year’ accolade and high praise from Dave Liebman (see farisishaq.com). The following year Faris contributed music for a show featuring David Knud and Zaid Hilal. Faris has met up occasionally with BEJE for memorable gigs, at the inaugural gig of Bristol’s Cotham Club in April 2022, in 2024 and in 2025.
We’re really grateful to Faris for joining us on the album but want to make it clear Faris is a guest with BEJE and not in the core band. He has an amazing burgeoning career ahead of him and we wish him well, hoping to offer him guest spots in the future sometimes.
The album was recorded in May and mastered in late August 2026. In September we’re sending it off for reviews and are requesting venues and festivals for album tour gigs in the May-July 2027 period. That’s the plan. One of these will be the main album launch. Please get in touch if you want to offer a gig and know of a venue we should approach.
The videos below are from our post-album recording gig in Bath May 16th 2026. There are two sample tracks from the album: Knud’s Dark Cloud Lifting and Mowat’s arrangement of a Somali tune he knows as ‘Mustapha’s Song’ to be uploaded soon.
