Tarek Yamani Wins 2010 Composition Competition Congratulations to Tarek Yamani, winner of the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composers Competition, sponsored by BMI. Yamani’s winning composition is titled “Sama’i Yamani.” Tarek Yamani was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. He studied classical piano as a child and then turned his attention to guitar and heavy metal until he discovered jazz. At age 19, Yamani taught himself jazz theory and immersed himself in jazz recordings. His musical curiosity also led him to explore other styles of music, including Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Flamenco, electronic, and Arabic. In 2001, after r...