Caravanserai

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There's no mistaking the royal pedigree. This luxurious, highly ornamented mixture of hand drums, kanun zither, violin, oud, and clarinet is as sumptuous as a fatty-food feast, heady as a pot of frankincense, and intoxicating as a shot of 151-proof rum. Percussionist Burhan Öçal and his rip-roaring ensemble specialize in the forgotten Gypsy music of Thrace with roots in an older repertoire designed to pamper the Ottoman sultans. Apart from preserving Turkish musical traditions during periods of Islamic opposition to music, Gypsy performers also added outside elements to the stew. Thus Ferdi Nadaz's microtonal clarinet flights on "Askin Sarabi" recall the Bulgarian wedding music rave-ups of Ivo Papasov, while the melodic motifs of "Bozkirda Dugun" suggest Yiddish klezmer. Scattered violin flourishes echo Indian sarangi phrases, and "Halli Dokuyan Kiz" with its sensuous zither and violin textures could easily pass for East African taarab. Holding it all together are the belly-dancing rhythms that punctuate the refined atmosphere with a healthy dose of hip-wiggle. Every note seems to promote well-being, but not without an accompanying naughty wink. --Bob Tarte

Tracks:

Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation
Waves Within
Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)
Just In Time To See The Sun
Song Of The Wind
All The Love Of The Universe
Future Primitive
Stone Flower
La Fuente Del Ritmo
Every Step Of The Way

Customer Reviews:

Santana at their best.......2007-06-28

Santana were probably one of the most consistent classic rock bands of the 70's. Every album is listenable the entire way through. When you have a unique latin sound, and are able to successfully implement that style into your music and not branch away from the formula, the results are going to be spectacular every time. That's why people remember those early Santana albums, and listen to them all the time. Hey, AC/DC never changed their style, and look at how many people agreed with that decision. Santana did the same thing, and it worked. The music is great! Alright, so Santana DID eventually change their sound, but let's focus on what they did in the early 70's, mkay? I'm focusing on the classic years because that's what people should remember Santana for.

Caravanserai is perhaps Santana's most underrated album (and no, it has nothing to do with that Canterbury band around at the same time called Caravan- MUCH different bands!). Why is the album so underrated? Because to my knowledge, classic rock radio has never played anything from it (or if they did, those days are long gone). It's mostly an instrumental album. It sounds like what you've come to expect from Santana (you know, lengthy guitar jams, latin influences, etc) though it's slightly jazzier than previous efforts. It has the absolutely glorious "Song of the Wind". Now THAT'S a classic song. Shame it's been ignored for so many years.

One thing that's important to note is that the songs actually get longer and jazzier as the album goes on. By the time you reach the final song ("Every Step of the Way") you're up to 9 whole minutes of classic guitar work mixed with those famous latin influences that only Santana could pull off successfully. What a great guitar sound, and what a great album. 52 minutes of total satisfaction. With the current price people are selling it for, you can't lose. Buy it now.

Muy gracias, Carlos.......2006-12-25

It's late...I am between the ending of one day and the beginning of a new one...candles are lit, incense is burning, Caravanserai is playing gently on my stereo and I am transported in the world between the seen and the unseen. I allow myself to breathe in...and breathe out...with every breath cycle is life and death, crucifixion and ascension, despair and hope, destruction and renewal. I stop looking outwardly for the Light and I realize with real eyes see that the Light is within me.

I am the Light.

The music keeps going. Deeper and deeper I go. I look at things previously with a kind of detachment. Just another stage to play on...just another experience of consciousness...it looked real, it felt real, but was it? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe "True Reality" cannot even be touched.

The music continues.

I breathe in the music. I let it seep into my cells. I let it dance in each atom of creation. I let it melt in between the seen and the unseen and I breathe in my wholeness...I breathe out my holiness...I know who I am. I know where I am. I am that which I am. The fire burns bright within me and around me. The music starts to go deeper and deeper into my soul where I remember that I am just a space/just a place love.

This body is only a vehicle.
It is not who I am.
I am that I am.
I AM.
There is no other.

I breathe in...
I breathe out...

The music continues. New delights. New insights. New realms appearing as well as old ones dissolving. The changeless reality within all remains unaffected.

All is well.

Peace be still.

Peace I give to you...not as the world gives but as I give...
the I of me...the I of you...the I of we..

It's
all
One...

Dang, I got the munchies. Is there anymore of that left over pizza?

=)

Peace and Blessings, everyone!

Santana starts down the fusion path.......2006-12-13

This is a fantastic cd and the remastering is done well. Carlos Santana always manages to play guitar like it's being channeled straight from his soul. On Caravanserai the entire band made a questionable, at the time, move toward fusion jazz. My understanding is that Santana's producer tried to talk him out of the jazz direction. If Carlos would have followed this advice he would have made an excellent commercial decision. Instead, the band went down the jazz fusion path and created a masterpiece.

The entire band is on fire on every song and Carlos is playing with an urgency that takes everything to another level.

Essential and beyond the rating system.

This one still works.......2006-10-27

This is Santana with much of his original band starting to move away from rock towards jazz fusion. The "songs" blend into each other and it's hard to tell where one piece ends and another starts sometimes. Much more so than his earlier albums, you are looking at one entire piece here and not a collection of different songs. You're either going to love this one or not; I feel it's one of his best. I think they do a great job of tying together all the musical pieces into one unified and coherent whole here. This is not the Santana of Abraxas and it's not the later Santana of Supernatural- it's one of his mid 1970s steps towards jazz and if you go into this not looking for catchy commercial songs, you should really like it.

DARING MUSICAL WORK.......2006-09-13

Caravanserai is a daring album even by Santana's high standard.
This album was not Rock nor Salsa; but Jazz-Rock and simply very adventurous to any musician even for someone with the musical popularity like Santana.
Full of heartfelt, introspective guitar solos, yet very different from the previous albums, Santana or Abraxas.
In my humble opinion, this is one of the finest accomplishment for this great artist.
Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

delightful experience
Excellent Compilation with Marvelous Tracks
Beyond the first Silk Road CD
Excelent!!!
One of the Best !

Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet
The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan
Obrigado Brazil
Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone
The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

ASIN: B0007TFHEI
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Tracks:

Mohini (Enchantment)
Oasis
Distant Green Valley
Akhalqalaqi Dance
Echoes Of A Lost City
Mountains Are Far Away
Yanzi (Swallow Song)
Battle Remembered
Summer In The High Grassland
Kor Arab (The Blind Arab)
Shikasta (Minstrel's Song)
Night At The Caravanserai
Gallop Of A Thousand Horses
Tarang (Currents)
Sacred Cloud Music

Amazon.com

It is a perilous proposition when genres clash--and no such collaboration is more potentially fraught than when improvisation-trained folk musicians sit in with Western classical instrumentalists, who are taught to interpret a printed score. The renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma has devoted much of his professional life to such intercultural experiments. But the traditions of nations situated along the ancient Silk Road, which began in the Far East, meandered through Asia and terminated in Europe, are especially dear to him. These lushly arranged pieces range from moody scenic vistas to percussive Turkish hip-shakers and they make very pleasant listening. If they owe more to the European canon than the ethnic sources that inspired them, they are also the result of respectful give-and-take between a team of acknowledged masters. And nobody is more of a team player than Maestro Ma, an impassioned, fearless musical seeker and a gracious, deferential colleague. --Christina Roden

Interview with Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma speaks about his latest adventures involved in this new installment of the ongoing Silk Road Project--an epoch-making collaboration among musical colleagues. Read our special interview to learn more about Ma's musical philosophy.

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Customer Reviews:

delightful experience.......2007-07-04

this collection of music is quite a cultural experience. I've been hooked since I opened the cover!

Excellent Compilation with Marvelous Tracks.......2007-01-20

I enjoyed this compilation of Silk Road music very much. It delivers a nice, diverse sample of music from the region. My favorite track of the CD is Shikasta, but I like the others as well.

Beyond the first Silk Road CD.......2006-11-23

Yo-Yo Ma went beyond indeed. The first CD with Silk Road ensemble (When Strangers Meet) was inconsistent and somewhat experimental. This one however, is superb. As if in the 5 years the musicians got to know each other (but in truth, only a few musicians are the same). 23 traditional Eastern instruments are listed plus a number of western strings and other percussion was used. So the music on this CD gets my full attention, and as the title of first track suggests, you (can) get enchanted.
The tracks are ordered into three parts: Enchantments (1-5), Origins (6-9) and New Beginnings. First track is strangely familiar (like it was used in some film, but there is no mention of this). In third track this theme gets Chinese interpretation. The style from one track to the other changes, so you can't get bored or overexcited. Second is simply very nice, the fourth great intro of Armenian wind instrument duduk (played by famous Gevorg Dabaghyan), accompanied by percussion mostly, albeit the piece is short. 5 is gentle with cello and xun (Chinese ocarina), 6 orchestral from slow to cool, 7 again gentle with cello and vocal, 8 starts with yearning duduk and turns into orchestral battle, 9 cello and percussion. Track 10 is the only one with prominent vocal (love song) and introduces us to the last part of CD, which are more like jam sessions of all instruments. 11 and 13 are very lively. The last one, track 15, brings us a new interpretation of very ancient Chinese melody played on pipa.

Some would probably say this CD is commercialized. Personally I don't see any wrongdoings in this as long the music stays a high quality one. For the more authentic Silk Road one can always buy The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan.

Excelent!!!.......2006-01-15

One of the best concerts I attended in my life (so far... :-)...)

One of the Best !.......2005-12-06

This album has captured the soul of the Silkroad. There is not a single track in this album I don't like. I've been listening to it over and over and over again since I first got it. I think it's much better than the first one.

Average customer rating:

Captivating!
Burhan Ocal is Incredible!

Caravanserai
Istanbul Oriental Ensemble & Burhan Ocal , and Istanbul Oriental Ensemble
Manufacturer: Network Germany
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Sultan's Secret Door
Gipsy Rum
Gypsies of Turkey
Ahenk, Turkish Classical Music
Music of the Ottoman Empire: Turkish Classical Music

ASIN: B0000560BO
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Katar
Carsida
Hali Dokuyan Kiz
Bozkirda Dugun
Gelinin Oynamasi
Basbasa
Ates Basinda
Askin Sarabi
Ya Kerim!
Kor Gibi Darbuka
Orient Ekspres

Amazon.com

There's no mistaking the royal pedigree. This luxurious, highly ornamented mixture of hand drums, kanun zither, violin, oud, and clarinet is as sumptuous as a fatty-food feast, heady as a pot of frankincense, and intoxicating as a shot of 151-proof rum. Percussionist Burhan Öçal and his rip-roaring ensemble specialize in the forgotten Gypsy music of Thrace with roots in an older repertoire designed to pamper the Ottoman sultans. Apart from preserving Turkish musical traditions during periods of Islamic opposition to music, Gypsy performers also added outside elements to the stew. Thus Ferdi Nadaz's microtonal clarinet flights on "Askin Sarabi" recall the Bulgarian wedding music rave-ups of Ivo Papasov, while the melodic motifs of "Bozkirda Dugun" suggest Yiddish klezmer. Scattered violin flourishes echo Indian sarangi phrases, and "Halli Dokuyan Kiz" with its sensuous zither and violin textures could easily pass for East African taarab. Holding it all together are the belly-dancing rhythms that punctuate the refined atmosphere with a healthy dose of hip-wiggle. Every note seems to promote well-being, but not without an accompanying naughty wink. --Bob Tarte

Customer Reviews:

Captivating!.......2004-03-03

Absolutely beautiful! Play this one along with "Alley's of Istanbul" at your next Turkish dinner party. Appeals to old music lovers from both orient and occident!

Burhan Ocal is Incredible!.......2001-03-14

I just saw this band play at UCLA and bought the album and I am blown away. Ocal did a darabuka solo (a finger drum) that made my (and everyone else's) jaw drop. I've seen Zakir Hussain and am not a fan of "drum solos" if you will. But never did I see such a musical display from a mere percussion instrument. One minute it was polyrhythmic genius, then next drum n bass thumpin grooves. The rest of the band are these charming dudes who look fresh off the boat. They loved the audience response (which was near hysteria). Superb musicians...every one of them.

Tracks:

Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation
Waves Within
Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)
Just In Time To See The Sun
Song Of The Wind
All The Love Of The Universe
Future Primitive
Stone Flower
La Fuente Del Ritmo
Every Step Of The Way

Customer Reviews:

the musical orchid of its era.......2005-03-23

What a window onto the world when the LP of this music came out! As rock music eltonjohn'ed down, many of us were looking for a way out of the silliness and inconsequentiality of Anglo-American pop music. Santana was an open door: their music was popular, enough so to get onto AM radio in a big way ("Oye como va" would have gotten old, if it hadn't been Santana) and yet it suggested depth and freedom of form that wasn't present in even the furthest-out "prog rock". Those of us who were guitargod crazy were of course onto Carlos Santana, and I believe that he still stands, with his best work, as the greatest lyricist of the electric guitar, outside of jazz.
Remember that this was before the great waves of Latin migration into the United States, so this sound was quite exotic to the ears of most of America. Moreover, cultures that aim at conformity and homogeneity, as America did at that time, tend to objectify "the other", negatively or positively. Some people reacted to the Latin nature of the music with slurs, some with the idea that this was a hot-blooded, "get dirty" kind of music. This was a gross, mindless response to the first three Santana records, fine in their own right, of course, but imagine what simple heads made of this band when it recorded, and performed, this relentlessly probing, spiritual music. "Boring".
But not for some of us. And unlike some of the stuff that came out in this period that seemed interesting to those of us who were looking for something more, this has stayed interesting. I don't think it was terrible profitable for Carlos and his colleagues, though. After the LP's "Welcome" and "Borboletta", also interesting but not of the perfection of Caravanserai, Santana came out with disappointing "Amigos", a paint-by-numbers affair that simultaneously pandered to disco fever and the the whitebread America notion of the simple Latin.
Well, you do have to make enough money to live on ...

Good music requires effort to appreciate.......2004-05-15

I bought this album when it came out in 1972 at the ripe age of 15. I was a big fan of the first 3 albums and bought it without hearing a note. Imagine my adolescent surprise when this album required much more effort to adore. I've since learned that music I like immediately loses it's flavor on the bedpost overnight. The toe tapping fades with the umpteenth playback...
This work represents a unique moment in time and a significant artistic accomplishment. You don't have to love every track to appreciate the expression and departure from easy commercial returns. It stands alone as a bold canvas created to satisfy Santana's inner exploration instead of a records company's profit motives. Like a lot of great music, this one captured a lot more ears because the artist had a name, and I for one, am richer for the effort. This stands as my favorite Santana album.
Push yourself to learn every cut and you'll find it takes you someplace you've never been. The greatest musical gift of all.

Song for the Wind.......2003-12-09

The guitar solo on Song for the Wind by itself is probably one of the greatest solos of rock/fusion/jazz guitar. His phrasing is along the lines of the great jazz pianist Bill Evans. Just listen to the demo on this site and you'll see what I mean -- the actual solo is considerably longer but this gives a good taste of the album. I owned it in 1973 and just re-purchased and it has held up greatly with time.

Bliss.......2003-03-28

Perfect background music for.... so many things I probably shouldn't mention here! Anyways, this is definately Santana's best, buy it, download it, somehow aquire it, and enjoy it. And as the other reviews note, if you like the new Santana pop stuff, don't bother with this. It's not even in the same genre.

SANTANA CREATE GREAT FUSION MUSIC.......2003-02-06

On this album Santana create an album that combines great latin rock with funk and jazz fusion. this album is obviously strongly infuenced by miles davis, John mclaughlin and introduces new band members armando peraza, tom coster and doug raunch. the album also features the last recordings with the band of band members neal schon and greg rollie. One question when is sony/columbia going to release a digitally remastered version of this album?

Average customer rating:

Why not multi-channel?
SACD version is gooood
Caravansarai SACD

Caravanserai
Santana
Manufacturer: Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005GA18
Release Date: 1972-10-01

Tracks:

Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation
Waves Within
Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)
Just in Time to See the Sun
Song of the Wind
All the Love of the Universe
Future Primitive
Stone Flower
Fuente del Ritmo
Every Step of the Way

Album Details

Super Audio CD. Only Playable on a Super Audio CD Player.

Customer Reviews:

Why not multi-channel?.......2003-08-02

A long time favourite and my overall Santana album of choice. I don't mind if a two channel album is given the two channel treatment on SACD, but very surprised however that this has not been given the multi-channel treatment as it was a Quadraphonic album back in the '70s.

SACD version is gooood.......2003-06-14

My copy took about 5 weeks to arrive but it was worth the wait. The SACD version sounds even better than I thought it would. It sounds sooo much more clear and alive. It is in 2 channel but this SACD will knock you out when you crank it. My system has full range speakers (Infinity IL40) Yamaha amp, and I use good cables and speaker wire, etc. to get the full advantage of the SACD's and DVD-A's.

Caravansarai SACD.......2002-06-29

Caravansarai has always been my favorite Santana disk. You can tell how badly I wanted an enhanced version when you check out the price. The bad news is that it is not recorded in full multi-channel. This is often the case with SACD and DVD-A, You don't know what you are getting until you play it. The good news is that even though it is only in stereo, it has a great sense of space and you can really hear more of Carlos' tone than on the 1972 edition. If you turn it up loud enough and you're system can deal with it, this disk will definitely bring it home. It's not as hot as some more recent stuff would be in this format, but if you want to really hear it better, get this disk. When you turn it up good and loud, it is definitely five stars.

Average customer rating:

Caravanserai
Santana
Manufacturer: Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00007LVBR
Release Date: 1972-10-01

Tracks:

Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation
Waves Within
Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)
Just in Time to See the Sun
Song of the Wind
All the Love of the Universe
Future Primitive
Stone Flower
Fuente del Ritmo
Every Step of the Way

Album Description

2002 reissue of 1972 album, packaged in a digipak. Sony.

Average customer rating:

Caravanserai
Santana
Manufacturer: Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation
Waves Within
Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)
Just in Time to See the Sun
Song of the Wind
All the Love of the Universe
Future Primitive
Stone Flower
Fuente del Ritmo
Every Step of the Way

Average customer rating:

Caravanserai
Santana
Manufacturer: Sony Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Borboletta
Abraxas
Amigos
Moonflower
Welcome

ASIN: B000EGCZQW
Release Date: 2006-05-15

Tracks:

Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation
Waves Within
Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)
Just in Time to See the Sun
Song of the Wind
All the Love of the Universe
Future Primitive
Stone Flower
Fuente del Ritmo
Every Step of the Way

Album Description

Japanese limited edition pressing has been remastered and comes packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Though there were hints of jazz fusion on Santana's first three albums, 1972's Caravanserai introduced a dramatic shift in the band's sound, away from essentially pop-based music to a more harmonically complex jazz/rock hybrid. In addition, the record marked a splintering of the original Santana lineup (soon to splinter further still with the departure of organist Gregg Rolie and guitarist Neal Schon, who then formed Journey). Carlos Santana and crew here turn in an exquisitely moody disc of mostly instrumental jamming with a brooding intensity akin to Miles Davis's classic Bitches Brew, underscored by the San Francisco-based ensemble's trademark propulsive rhythms. CBS. 2006.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

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