There were big smiles, sweaty bodies and ecstatic dancing feet when TootArd delivered a sparkling party at Roskilde Festival in 2023. Since then, the respect for the duo's funky Arabic tones has only grown, not least thanks to their live shows that are impossible to stand still to.
Hasan and Rami Nakhleh, the two brothers behind TootArd, hail from the occupied Golan Heights and are essentially stateless. But that hasn't stopped them from conquering the world with music that transports the listener to sweaty Middle Eastern clubs, lifting the legacy of a golden age of Arabic disco and funk combined with musical inspirations from North Africa.
The recipe is charming retro synthesizers, 80s-sounding drum machines, hypnotic beats, Middle Eastern scales and a solid flair for magical pop hooks, as heard on the masterful album Migrant Birds (2020).
The album title itself is an indication of TootArd's goal to create songs that cross narrowing borders like birds. Now the Nakhleh brothers return to Roskilde Festival, and they're ready to deliver another epic party that sets the body free.
