Jiraan (Arabic for 'neighbours') is an ensemble of 12 musicians from Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Bulgaria and Belgium. This ensemble developed a subtle and broad repertoire with Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish music, European folk, baroque and new compositions inspired by old forms and with a jazzy touch.

With this latest project, Jiraan is looking for the roots of the sirto(s). Sirto(s) (or Syrtos, συρτός in Greek) is an instrumental form of music found in the Greek, Turkish and Arabic music traditions. The music is accompanied by a popular traditional circle dance in which the dancers join hands to form a chain or circle. They are "led" by a leading dancer who occasionally breaks away to perform solo improvised dance steps.

The music/dance is comparable to the hora from the Balkans, the halay from Turkey and the dabke from the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine and Jordan).

The musicians of Jiraan enter into a dialogue with each other, with music as the universal language and sirto as the common thread.

Line-up:
Shalan Alhamwy (violin & artistic direction)
Mohamad Aldouri (violin)
Ibrahim Kahila (viola)
Emine Bostancı (kemenche)
Damla Aydin (cello)
Katrien Bos (double bass)
Omar Znkawan (sax & clarinet)
Lucie Lelaurain ( duduk & flute)
Maher Mahmoud (oud)
Galina Velikova (vocal)
Jacobus Thiele (percussion)
Jonas Malfliet (keys)