Albare

Guitarist Albare, performing as the alter ego of Albert Dadon, lives in Australia and works across jazz, business, and philanthropy. Formative years spent in Israel and France shaped his wide-ranging commercial and political activities, many of which strengthen cultural ties between the two countries. His recordings—among them the 2010 release Travel Diary, 2020’s Albare Plays Jobim, and 2024’s Beyond Belief—illustrate a worldwide fusion of contemporary jazz, Latin music, and ethnic traditions.

Dadon entered the world in Morocco in 1957 and spent his childhood in Israel, taking up classical guitar at eight. Initial studies took place at the conservatory of music in Dimona. At ten he relocated with his parents to France, where exposure to Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, and Antonio Carlos Jobim sparked his interest in jazz and rock.

Arrival in Melbourne in 1983 gave him a lasting base for his triple roles as musician, entrepreneur, and benefactor. While directing fashion, finance, and property-management firms, he founded the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange to present film festivals in both nations. Jazz promotion followed through his directorship of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the establishment of the Australian Jazz Bell Awards.

Releases under the Albare name include 1995’s What Goes Around Comes Around together with the later Travel Diary and Albare Plays Jobim. A second collection of Antonio Carlos Jobim material appeared in 2021; Freedom followed in 2022. The 2024 album Beyond Belief blends contemporary jazz with bossa nova.