Manara trio

Manara (منارة) is a contemporary experimental trio formed by cellist and composer Khabat Abas, pianist and electronic musician Pat Thomas, and vocalist and composer Alya Al-Sultani. Emerging from a shared interest in improvisation, literature, and the musical traditions of the Middle East, the ensemble creates performances where composition unfolds collectively in real time.

Drawing on free improvisation, extended instrumental techniques, electronics, and Arabic vocal practices, Manara moves fluidly between acoustic and electronic sound worlds. Their work is deeply informed by poetry, cultural memory, and ideas of resistance, often taking texts by Middle Eastern writers as points of departure for spontaneous musical development. Rather than interpreting fixed compositions, the trio allows each performance to evolve through attentive listening and interaction, producing immersive soundscapes that bridge contemporary experimental music with traditions from the region.

The trio's debut album was released in 2024 on Discus Music and was introduced with a launch performance at Café OTO in London.