Wajdi Riahi

Piano

Age: 28 years old

Country: Tunisia

Jazz pianist and member of the Tunis Jazz Club, Wajdi graduates in Arabic music in 2011. In 2015 he plays into the Hard Bop Project and makes his first jazz concert with the others members of the Tunis Jazz Club. In 2016 he takes part in the Jazz Itinerary: a series of concerts organized by the association of the Tunis Jazz Club and a course at the AKDT in Libramont (Belgium) with jazz piano, improvised music and composition classes.

In 2017, Wajdi plays in Darimba, the projet of the Tunisian bass player Wassim Ben Rhouma. Then, he creates his own project North Africa with which he wins three prizes: Tanit bronze, the best composition price and the « Ahmed Litaiem » price for the best soloist. Wajdi also took part in the Master Class of the American pianist Barry Harris in Italy.
Currently, he is studying at the Royal Conservatory of Bruxelles with the pianist Éric Legnini.

Wajdi appears in various projects in Brussels, such as his trio with Basile Rahola on double bass, and Pierre Hurty on Drums. Baz trio is Basile’s trio with Oscar Georges on drums. This trio has done two albums: Live At Jamboree and the second one is L’Homme Bleu on the label Fresh Sound New Talent released in 2020.

Wajdi recorded his new album in Trio (on Fresh Sound) and another new project  Basile Rahola quartet (Fresh Sound), and he is a co-leader of the duo RIAHRTY with Pierre Hurty on Drums. Wajdi plays also with other Tunisian projects such as Dendri Stambeli Movement, Bori is the name of the album;

The Wajdi Riahi Trio recently won the 2021 Young Jazz Talent Competition of the Dinant Jazz Festival.

Photo credit: Roger Vantilt