OMAR (OMAR AKRAM) Omar Akram encourages listeners to come with him on an exotic Secret Journey, an appropriate title for his new Real Music album since he grew up traveling around the world as the son of a United Nations diplomat living in such diverse locales as France, Cuba, Afghanistan and the Czech Republic. On Omar’s third contemporary instrumental CD, strong melodies are presented within tapestry-like arrangements carefully interweaving his acoustic grand piano with acoustic guitar, violin, duduk, flute and ethnic percussion performed by a group of world-class musicians.

Omar Akram has been influenced by many cultures because he grew up as a world-traveler. He was born in New York City while his father was representing Afghanistan at the United Nations. “I was always fascinated by musical instruments as a child, so when I was six, I began taking piano lessons from a member of the Prague Symphony Orchestra, who was one of the top music teachers in the Czech Republic.” While growing up, Omar went to many symphonies and ballets. His early influences were classical -- first Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, but soon the “Russian School” of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Shastakovich. When Omar was 14 and in Cuba, he got to chat with Fidel Castro at a diplomatic reception. Omar’s curiosity for Cuban culture led him to local clubs where he talked the musicians into letting him sit in and play Cuban music with them which is when he developed a love for Latin rhythms and Latin-styled acoustic guitar sounds.