EFG London Jazz Festival: Makam Salam ft. Mira Awad and Olcay Bayir

Makam Salam are proud to be part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, joined by two special guests: Mira Awad and Olcay Bayir. Get ready for a night of songs, stories and real dialogue between the stage and the audience, lit by immersive visual art from VJ Joe Walton.

Makam Salam is a London-based collective of Pan-Middle-Eastern diaspora musicians. The band brings together Palestinian, Israeli, Iranian, Lebanese, Turkish, Kurdish, Tunisian, Moroccan, British and Jewish Diaspora musicians, building bridges across cultures and playing for peace and collective liberation. Maqam modes meet jazz improvisation. Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish and Kurdish songs sit next to each other, carried on oud, clarinet, violin, keys, drums and percussion.

This special night features Mira Awad, a Palestinian-Israeli singer, songwriter and actor, born in the Galilee village of Rameh. In 2009 she represented Israel at Eurovision alongside Achinoam Nini. It was the first Israeli entry with Arabic lyrics, and the first sung by an artist of Arab origin. Awad has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Andrea Bocelli and Quincy Jones, and appeared at Sanremo in 2025. The New York Times called her voice "intensely seductive... drawn into its mysterious spell."

The night also features Olcay Bayır, a London-based Kurdish Alevi singer-songwriter, born in Gaziantep in south-east Türkiye into a family of âşık, the wandering minstrel poets. Trained in opera in London, she brings that voice to the songs of Anatolia, singing in Kurdish, Turkish, Armenian and Greek. Her debut album Neva was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Songlines Music Awards, she has played WOMAD and a live session on BBC 6 Music, and The Guardian called her "one of the finest, most intriguing singers on the British world music scene."

We had hoped to share this stage with members of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus Alumni, but because of visa difficulties for some of the Palestinian participants, it is very unlikely they will be able to join us. This is another reminder of why our work is important to us.

The round is the format this music was built for. Audience on every side, the band facing inward, where the audience is invited to be an active part of the show.

Since forming in 2024, Makam Salam have played Stone Nest, PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Next Door Records and The Cockpit, and this year Shambala and Soul Revolution festivals. They are proud to return to The Cockpit this November as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival.

On stage:
Mira Awad - vocals
Olcay Bayır - vocals
Daniel Gouly - clarinets
Rita Issa - violin and vocals
Baha Yetkin - oud
Ofer Peled - ney and saxophones
Tomer Eldor - keys
Gio Cresseri - bass
Oliver Kourosh Rutherford - drums
David Mordechai - percussion
Visuals: Joe Walton

All GA tickets (incl booking fees):
Supporter: £42.20
Standard: £31.90
Students/MU members: £19.54

Please note: ALL ticket prices are for general admission, with all seats unreserved and first-come-first-served.

As always, carers go free, call the box office to book: 020 7258 2925
All acts are subject to contract and may sometimes change.

Proceeds from this show help support and promote our non-profit work, including raising funds to record our first album.