Dance into Eternity: Selected Pieces 1987-1998

Amazon.com
Turkish born and bred, Omar Faruk Tekbilek is a musician whose virtuosity is nurtured by grace and passion. Faruk can play just about any Middle Eastern instrument you can think of--the ney flute, the stringed baglama, the percussive dumbek--and he's a master of them all. But if not for producer Brian Keane, Faruk would be just another Middle Eastern musician playing for belly dancers, which he did for years with a group called the Sultans, who have one track on the disc. In 1988, Keane plucked Faruk from a Middle Eastern bar and made him the centerpiece of a soundtrack and album, Suleyman the Magnificent. Selections from that album and seven other CDs comprise Dance into Eternity. As Faruk and Keane's relationship became more closely interwoven, you can hear them creating a unique Middle Eastern fusion. Keane backed Faruk's searingly beautiful ney melodies with synthesizers and acoustic guitar, and added other Middle Eastern players such as Ara Dinkjian and Arto Tunboyaciyan from the group Night Ark. This wasn't belly dance music anymore, although tracks such as "Siseler," featuring Faruk on the whining zurna, would get any exotic dancer gyrating. Keane and Faruk worked in orchestral territory, with Faruk's gorgeous melodies curving around ballads such as "Koyaymi" or the trance meditations of "Whirling." Skillfully selected and annotated by John Schaefer, Dance into Eternity is a wonderful introduction to Omar Faruk Tekbilek. --John Diliberto

Tracks:

A Call To Prayer
Imaginary Traveler
Sisler
Ayasofya (Saint Sophia)
Song Of The Pharoahs
Hasret
John The Baptist And Salome
Crescent Moon
Gawazi
Laz
Kolaymi
Mastika
Topkapinin Bahcesi (Garden At Topkapi)
Whirling Dervish
Village Song

Amazon.com

Turkish born and bred, Omar Faruk Tekbilek is a musician whose virtuosity is nurtured by grace and passion. Faruk can play just about any Middle Eastern instrument you can think of--the ney flute, the stringed baglama, the percussive dumbek--and he's a master of them all. But if not for producer Brian Keane, Faruk would be just another Middle Eastern musician playing for belly dancers, which he did for years with a group called the Sultans, who have one track on the disc. In 1988, Keane plucked Faruk from a Middle Eastern bar and made him the centerpiece of a soundtrack and album, Suleyman the Magnificent. Selections from that album and seven other CDs comprise Dance into Eternity. As Faruk and Keane's relationship became more closely interwoven, you can hear them creating a unique Middle Eastern fusion. Keane backed Faruk's searingly beautiful ney melodies with synthesizers and acoustic guitar, and added other Middle Eastern players such as Ara Dinkjian and Arto Tunboyaciyan from the group Night Ark. This wasn't belly dance music anymore, although tracks such as "Siseler," featuring Faruk on the whining zurna, would get any exotic dancer gyrating. Keane and Faruk worked in orchestral territory, with Faruk's gorgeous melodies curving around ballads such as "Koyaymi" or the trance meditations of "Whirling." Skillfully selected and annotated by John Schaefer, Dance into Eternity is a wonderful introduction to Omar Faruk Tekbilek. --John Diliberto

Album Description

Omar Faruk Tekbilek's first international exposure was on Brian Keane's 1988 album Suleyman the Magnificent (13023-2). A film was being made about the Ottoman emperor Suleyman to coincide with the opening of an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Keane was hired to do the soundtrack. Wanting to incorporate Turkish instruments and players, Keane called Arif Mardin, the legendary producer of the Bee Gees and Aretha Franklin and asked if he knew any Turkish musicians. He didn't, but called later saying his cooks went to Fazils, a belly dance club in Manhattan. This is where Keane first heard Faruk play, and he recalls, "You could tell immediately that he was different. His playing was so emotional, he really stood out."

Keane knew what he wanted for the soundtrack - the mystical sound of the Sufi flute, or ney, added to his own synthesizer. As far as he knew, this combination hadn't been done before, and he invited Faruk to his studio to try it. "When Faruk started playing," he says, "the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was magic from the start."

This compilation, Dance into Eternity: Selected Pieces 1987-1998, contains Faruk's finest work, including a previously unissued performance from a WNYC-FM radio concert recorded in New York City in 1990 and a track by Faruk's old band, The Sultans, culled from a private release. "Working with Faruk has been one of the most satisfying musical experiences of my life," says Keane. Both helped with the music selection on this compilation, which reflects some of the finest flowerings of Faruk's Tree of Patience.

Customer Reviews:

Oh So Wonderful!.......2001-02-02

I just returned from a trip to Egypt and Jordan and was spellbound by both cultures. As soon as I returned I went on a quest here at Amazon to find the best middle eastern music to listen to so I could remember my adventure. After listening to many many sound clips, I happended upon this album and bought it instantly. Now that I've been listening to it for several days, I'm looking for more cd's by Omar Faruk Tekbilek. His music captures your imagination and transports you beyond the western world. The mastery of the musicians and the production of this album, which is a compilation of best of his carreer, is indisputable. If you're looking for a solid, creative world music experience, buy this one!

Wonderful.......2000-09-12

A wonderful album of gorgeous music. Should be heard by anyone who enjoys traditional Turkish, Arabic and other types of Middle Eastern music. The pieces which make the album can be found on other albums as well, but here is where some of the most evocative I've heard, as of yet, can be found. "Whirling Dervish," "Imaginary Traveler," "Kolaymi," "John the Baptist in Salome," and "Gawazi" are among my favorites.

Exotic.......2000-09-01

I love exotic music! I love to sit back with candles lit and listen to the unique sounds of Dance into Eternity. I feel like it takes me away to an strange and foregin land! I would recommend this CD to anyone!

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