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Persian & Middle Eastern Percussion by Zarbang $30 |
Zarbang is a world percussion ensemble representing the finest percussionists from Iran and Afghanistan. Inspired by tribal rhythms, Zarbang creates a new sound utilizing instruments of various cultures while staying true to the essence and origin of each instrument. Zarbang's sound is dynamic, meditative and internal as well as ecstatic and trance-inducing, drawing upon Sufi and ancient Persian rhythms used for inducing altered states. |
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Cairo Nights Bellydance Bar Hossam Ramzy & Samy el Bably $28 |
A beautiful selection of Egyptian dance pieces
with Hossam Ramzy (tabla and percussion) and his Egyptian Orchestra,
featuring the trumpet legend, the late Samy El Bably.
The pieces: Asrar El Ein, Waheshny, Kol El Aalam, Manbaa Innar, Naima's Desert Castle, Maalehsh, Mawwal El-Oshaa, El Malek Farouk
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Seasons of Violet: Lovesongs from Palestine by Rim Banna New $26 |
A collection of eleven love songs from Palestine, produced by KKV in Norway. |
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Algerian Rai by Cheb Nacim New $26 |
In the tradition of the great Raï singers Cheb Hasni, Khaled and others, Cheb Nacim presents an album of passionate Raï songs by Hasni, Dahman El Harrachi, Abderahmane Djoudi, as well as original compositions. Style and instrumentation range from a traditional "desert feel" to hot rumba and pulsating dance grooves and club remixes. Produced by Hossam Ramzy. |
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The Prince of Sha'abi by Saad New in digipak, $27 |
Dubbed the "Young Prince of Egyptian Sha'abi,"
Saad is the hottest new star in the tradition of Hakim. His music is
inspired from the streets: it's energetic, positive, and light-heartening
romantic with a sense of Egyptian irony and humor. |
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Among Brothers by Abdelli Algeria New in jewel case, $24 |
Personnel: Abdelli (vocals, mandola); Ulysses Santos
(acoustic guitar, cavaquinto); Totavares (acoustic guitar); Adento
(guitar); Carlos Diaz (Spanish guitar); Thierry Van Roy (E-bow,
keyboards); Abelmagid "Mgidou" Makrai Lamarti (violin,
percussion); Aurelio Santos (cavaquinto); Elshad Jabbarov (flute,
clarinet, balaban); Bitori (accordion); Said "El Asfour"
Mohammed Najib, Jawad Smaili (nay); Luis Leiva Alquinta (cajon, bombo,
guiro, maracas, reco-reco, triangle, udu drum, bells); Adolphe Kinda (djembe).
Recorded between 1998 & 2001. Includes liner notes by Thierry Van Roy. |
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The Road to Baghdad: new maqams from Iraq by Ahmed Mukhtar New in jewel case, $26 |
Ancient Iraqi maqams in new interpretations
by a master of the oud (Arab lute), accompanied on nay (flute), qanun
(zither), joza (spike fiddle), percussion and keyboards. 32-page booklet
with extensive information in four languages. “Ahmed Mukhtar… relays
the Iraqi musical heritage in all its scope…. He is the first to
present this kind of music as a soloist with his distinguished virtuoso
technique.” Almada Newspaper (Baghdad, Iraq) |
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L'amour courtois/Courtly Love by Adib al-Dayikh Syria New in sealed digipak, $30 Booklet in English and French |
Adib al-Dayikh comes from a great family of
mystics and reciters of the Koran. He is famous for his communicative
style, full of feeling. This appropriately named artist (his names means
literally "the dazed one" or "the exhilerated",
referring to passionaye love of God and Divine love) passed away in
August 2001. Dayikh's success was unquestionable; he owed it to his
tessitura, three octaves and a remarkable high register; the beautiful
poems he chose with such care, and the feeling of musical ecstacy (tarab)
that he and his musicians helped to evoke. He performed songs sung since
the Middle Ages by the mystical muslim brotherhoods during their
collective rituals of invocation. But Dayikh wanted to illustrate the
universal nature of love too, and would readily sing of erotic love,
expressed in sometimes risque, but never vulgar, images. |
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Le Chant de Sanaa/Sanaan
Singing by H. al-Ajami & A. Ushuysh Yemen New in sealed digipak, $30 Booklet in English & French |
It is said that
in the olden days when the musicians of the old town of Sanaa sang in
the big drawing rooms with shrubs and greenery just outside, the voice
of the most gifted singers would attract the robins who would come and
settle on the stems of the hookahs, as though hypnotised by the murmer
of the lute. The singer here interprets some extremely fine poems, written in classical Arabic, studded with turns of phrase and other expressions in the dialect of the region around Sanaa. He accompanies himself on a small lute, partiicular to Yemen, known as the ganbus, whose origins go back to the earliest days of islam. |