Bassel & The Supernaturals

Bassel & The Supernaturals is a band with a story and a mission. It was founded by Bassel Almadani, a first-generation Syrian American. With soulful melodies, funk-inspired rhythms, and captivating lyrics, he describes loss, love, otherness, and the war in Syria that has claimed so many lives, including members of his own family. Taking inspiration from Stevie Wonder’s rhythm and blues, Jamiroquai’s social-justice lyricism and jazz-infused punk, and Steely Dan’s seamless blending of American music, Bassel & The Supernaturals bring both joy and thoughtfulness to diverse audiences across cities throughout North America.

In addition to performing at major festivals and concert halls, the group works closely with organizations and conducts residencies that build awareness and empathy for Syrian refugees and immigrants. Bassel uses the stage as a vehicle to unite his listeners and share the story of his cultural duality. A substantial portion of the proceeds from the group’s concerts benefits the Karam Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on building a better future for Syria.

Bassel & The Supernaturals made its national television debut in 2004, when PBS selected the group to represent Chicago in the season finale of The Express Way starring Dule Hill. The episode highlighted Almadani’s story as the son of Syrian immigrants with the challenges of growing up as a Muslim in America after September 11. It showed his profound connection to the arts as a way to understand his own experiences while giving voice to refugees. From 2016-2024, the group performed in more than 400 concerts and advocacy events on stages including SXSW, The Kennedy Center, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Summerfest, and Millennium Park, and has supported international touring artists including Youssou N’Dour, Aesop Rock, and Emancipator.

The group’s 2017 release, Elements, generated buzz with the music video, Lost, a moving song about Bassel’s young cousin, who was fatally caught in crossfire, a casualty of the Syrian conflict. This led to the band’s involvement in the nationally acclaimed SXSW 2017 showcase, ContraBand: #Music Unites, featuring artists from the diaspora targeted by the travel ban. They have since been featured on Al Jazeera, Reuters, Huffington Post and NowThis.

In April 2020, after a service trip to Istanbul to work with displaced Syrians, Bassel & The Supernaturals released a full-length album, Smoke and Mirrors. The band collaborated with TEDx Talks on the music video for “Calculated Love,” featuring Chicago’s resilient youth in the face of the COVID pandemic. Since then, the band has released three new singles, including a music video for “Sandman,” which captured the band’s recording sessions with Grammy-winning producer and engineer Jeff Breakey.

Bassel & The Supernaturals is committed to building a better future for Syria and for young artists and entrepreneurs all around the world. The group organizes events and residencies with educational, cultural, and charitable organizations that deal with everything from artists working at the intersection of culture, social justice, and community to the logistics of running a career in the arts as a business.

The best art reaches into the heart and soul of the artist and the audience. For Bassel Almadani and his band, it’s Syrian heart and Midwest Soul, touching hearts and minds everywhere.