Bio

Ammar TOUMI was born in 1965 in Ghardaïa, in the Algerian desert. From the age of four, he began to participate in the tradition of his large musical family, the Blue tribe composed of a mixture of white Amazires and black slaves. They animated the festivals and events in the area. At the age of seven, he became interested in Arab-Andalusian music and continued his training with one of the great masters of Maghreb folk music, Ustad Zaïdi Sid Ahmed.

Since 1990 he has lived in Switzerland and has collaborated with musicians from all over the world. Founder of the group "Les Nomades" in 1995, he has participated in numerous forays into the world of jazz and traditional world music.

For many years he has accompanied the creations of the Ballet Junior and several contemporary dancers.

He plays the oud, the gembri, the darbuka and various percussions.