CD Review: Ustad Dildar Hussain Khan and Party's 'Sur Sangeet'

Ustad Dildar Hussain Khan and Party
Sur Sangeet
Kanaga System Krush Records

The essence of Qawwali is eloquently presented on the latest recording from Ustad Dildar Hussain Khan and Party. The Pakistani-based musical style is devotional music of Sufism with an entrancing and hypnotic flavor. For the most part, Sur Sangeet is filled with harmonium, tabla, and hand-claps, but vocal utterances signal the real strength of the music. However, "Dhamaal," is a completely instrumental tune. The melodies and rhythms are more varied on Sur Sangeet than traditional Qawwali music. Still, a historic thread binds the past with the present throughout the songs. There are eight long tracks with diverse vocalizations, steady percussion, and Punjabi elements. Specialists in South Asian music will want to try some Qawwali. This is a good place to start. It's soul-quenching. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Solvguttene and Kudsi Erguner's 'Pervane'

Solvguttene with Kudsi Erguner
Pervane: Floyet fra Guds Hand
KKV

The music of Solvguttene is steeped in the rich, classic melodies and instrumentation of Turkey with some lyrics by Norway's Henrik Wergeland and Hans Nielsen Hauge. The symphonic choral pieces represent a seemingly unlikely connection between Norway's religious choral constructions and Turkey's Sufi poetry. However, the result works with flying colors and effervescent flutes. Flute legend, Kudsi Erguner, vocalist Bora Uymaz, qanun player Serkan Halili, percussionist Hamdi Akatay, pianist Andreas Utnem, and double bass player, Jo Fougner Skaansar, round out the musical repertoire. The music is dreamy, Middle Eastern, angelic, and new age all wrapped into one indelible package. The swirling, dervish rhythms and instrumentation is somewhat Renaissance-themed, but that is just the old nature of the instruments and cross-cultural influences throughout Central Asia and Europe. At any rate, Solvguttene and Kudsi Erguner bring us a lively instrumental and vocal medley of world music with sauntering melodies that are mature and unforgettable. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Atash's 'Everything Is Music'

Atash
Everything Is Music
Ars Mundi

Everything Is Music is titled from a poem by Rumi, a Sufi poet of the 13th century, which combines swirling, Middle Eastern rhythms with hypnotic flamenco, Indian, and Mediterranean influences. The mature vocals are not too boisterous and very akin to Cheb Khaled. The band is spearheaded by Mohammad Firoozi Dashtestani, who hails from Iran. The Farsi singer aids the help of fellow musicians, Roberto Riggio on violin; Dylan Jones on bass; Abou Sylla on balafon, djembe, and conga; Jose Manuel Tejeda on acoustic guitar; Jason McKenzie on drums and tabla; John Moon on violin; and Indrajit Banerjee on sitar. The nine tracks are a global goldmine of infectious sounds and world rhythms. The Austin, Texas-based band finds no trouble getting their music across to the local crowds, as well as an international audience. The music cuts through borders and beliefs by creating organic, yet accessible, music tunes. Rumi would be proud! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: White Canvas' 'Hundreds Of Ways'

White Canvas
Hundreds Of Ways
Ozella Music

White Canvas is vocalist Rena Meyer Wiel and guitarist Rolf Beydemueller. Together, the German duo create natural soundscapes of aural color with new age nuances and improvisational, experimental, and divine melodies. Rena's diverse, but poetic, vocal style is at times very spiritual and pleasant. The vocals are artfully constructed with a Sufi spirit, which is where the album title originates. In fact, a line from the Sufi poet Rumi describes the nature of the music. Hundreds Of Ways connotes a world of improvisation and spirituality with fine guitar strumming and soundscape embellishments. The avant-garde elements are inventive, ear-friendly, and solemn. The mournful and wistful vocals are a thing of beauty. Coincidentally, there are also a hundred ways to love this album! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Yuval Ron Ensemble's 'Seeker of Truth'

Yuval Ron Ensemble

Seeker of Truth

Yuval Ron Music

As the musical director, oud player, and saz player, Yuval Ron assembles a host of musicians for his ensemble in a session recorded live at the 2008 World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles, California. The ensemble includes Najwa Gibran on vocals; Sukhawat Ali Khan on harmonium and vocals; Yeghish Manukyan on duduk and clarinet; Virginie Alumian on qanun; Jamie Papish on udu, cajon, dumbek, dhol, daf; and David Martinelli on riqq, dhol, frame drum, ankle bells, and dumbek. The album is a collection of Sufi music from North African and Western European regions to South Asia. A host of other performers provide additional vocal and instrumental accompaniment on some of the songs. At any rate, the music is clearly Sufi with musical influences extending back well into the early history of Islam. Yuval Ron's nine songs represent a perfect collection of music that is easy to listen to and uplifting in every sense of the word. A nice blend of instrumental and vocal music with Sufi soul! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Swamy Haridhos & Party

Swamy Haridhos & Party
Classical Bhajans
Country & Eastern

Recorded in 1968 in Bombay, Swamy Haridhos & Party performs devotional music in the classical bhajan traditions. A bhajan is simply any type of Indian devotional song, which may include kirtan, mantra, raga, tala, and dhrupad forms. Classical Bhajans features twenty-one songs with Swamy on vocals, M. Bhagvatar on harmonium, P.S. Devarajan on mridangam, K. Shivakumar on violin, and K.V. Ramani on tabla. Notably, the recording was produced by the founder of the Country & Eastern label, Bengt Berger. Swamy sings in the Dakshina Bharatha Sampradaya Bhajan tradition, which is indigenous to Southern India. The ecstatic vocals and musical compositions vary in length from under one-minute ("Mandare Mule") to nearly nine minutes ("Gurumurthi Pada Mule"). The basis for the music relies upon ancestral links of religious and devotional themes and deities. The seemingly frenzied rhythms and call-and-response vocals interspersed with the accordion-like drone of the harmonium and punchy tabla and mridangam remind one of Sufi ensembles. Unfortunately, Swamy Haridhos died in the Ganges River on a trip to the Himalayas in 1994. Fortunately, Swamy's music will live on for future generations. For fans of Indian folk, religious, and devotional music, Swamy Haridhos and his ensemble are a worthy addition to any collection. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Nagore Sessions of South India

Various Artists

Nagore Sessions

EarthSync

The Sufi-inspired chants of Abdul Ghani, Ajah Maideen, and Saburmaideen Babha Sabeer from the Nagore Dargah, or shrine, in Tamil Nadu (South India) are backed with traditional instrumentation and modern beats. As a whole, the music is more traditional than electronic. At any rate, there is a nice balance of vocals and instrumentation without distracting the flow of the album. The chants, sung in Tamil, are borrowed from traditional Indian texts. The simplicity of the singing is easily accessible for fans of Indian music, Bollywood, and Kollywood (South India) music. The traditional frame drum, strings, tabla, sitar, harmonium, and others, reflect the history of the songs. The music takes on a Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Indian sound similar in tone to Pakistan's Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali. The symphonic beats, Sufi singing, and traditional sounds make Nagore Sessions a must-have for any music fan! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Senegal's Carlou D

Carlou D

Muzikr

World Village

Senegalese musician, Carlou D, is a fixture in the Dakar music scene. A vocalist and guitarist, Carlou D provides a young, hip voice in the West African music arena. His latest release, Muzikr, is so-named for its reference to music (mu-) and Islamic/Sufi ties (-zikr). This is not your typical traditional Sufi music chants or rock/hip hop album. It is catchy, contemporary music with a variety of instrumentation including bass, kora, ngoni, keyboards, drums, sax, and other instruments. The music is pleasant to listen to and each track is noticeably different. A familiar voice to many, Youssou N'Dour, lends his voice on track six. Overall, Muzikr can be appropriately categorized as a new genre of contemporary West African Islamic pop music. Whatever you call it, Carlou D will move you, inspire you, and make you think. It is very good 'muzik'. The liner notes provide song summaries in English and French. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Lian & Chirgilchin Ensembles on "The Window" (released May 2010)

Lian & Chirgilchin

The Window

Lian Records

The Window is what happens when two groups from different countries come together and make music for one afternoon in Los Angeles, USA. The Persian/Sufi Lian Ensemble incorporate Persian lyrics and traditional instrumentation, including the tar, kamancheh, udu and frame drum. Imagine the sounds of the ancient, Persian courts mixed with the throat-singing elements of Tuva's Chirgilchin. Chirgilchin consists of four members playing traditional fiddles and lutes, including the igil, doshpoulour, and byzaanchy. Their notable throat-singing is an excellent accompaniment with the Persian and Tuvan instruments. The eerie vocals, droning sounds, and mystical percussion are rarely heard in other recordings. One drawback with The Window is the length. There are only four songs at about 40 minutes. However, the songs were recorded in only one afternoon and the group's busy schedule only allowed a limited playing time. Still, the results are quite remarkable. English and Persian liner notes are included. The Window is perfect for Persian, Tuvan, Mongolian, Central Asian, and Sufi music fans. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Kailash Kher & Company

Kailash Kher & Kailasa

Yatra (Nomadic Souls)

Cumbancha

An invigorating release from India showcases singer Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa. This is where contemporary Indian pop music meets traditional roots and rhythms. There is a solid, Indian-ness to the songs, with some elements of Sufi, Gypsy, funk, reggae, and electronic beat music. The contemporary music is produced with help from traditional instrumentation as well, including rabab, saz, oud, santoor, harmonium, sitar, and various percussion. Perhaps Yatra (Nomadic Souls) is an homage to the global music listener, while taking in, absorbing, and processing various styles for 'nomadic souls' around the world. Yatra (Nomadic Souls) traverses the musical spectrum from up-beat dance sounds of "Tauba Tauba" and "Jhoomo Re" to the slower rhythms of "Piya Ghar Aavenge". This is a highly-recommended, adventurous musical journey for anyone interested in contemporary Indian music. The songs are sung in Hindi, but English lyrics are provided in the liner notes, along with colored pictures. ~ Matthew Forss