Sufi Soul: Echos Du Paradis

Amazon.com
While the Sufi musical tradition of Pakistan is well documented in the popular press because of the work of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his predecessors, the Sabri Brothers (both represented with excellent tracks in this collection), the wealth of great art from this religious culture is often left unheard. This two-CD set rectifies the problem with style and beauty. Not only Pakistan, but Egypt, Senegal, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and many other countries in Asia and the Middle East have rich traditions of devotional music from loosely defined Sufi roots, from the simplest solo singer to lush orchestras of percussion, harmoniums, and massed voices. Each of the 21 tracks on Sufi Soul is worth your attention: the incredible passion of a women's choir from Uzbekistan; the sparse, gentle flute solo of ney master Hassan Kassayi; a rare tanbur (lute) and vocal track by Ostad Elahi; a Balachi song for sorud (fiddle). There are standout tracks that need to be mentioned. The frame drum and qanun (zither) come together in Ensemble Al-Kindi for a dramatic, almost avant-garde feeling. An amazing Persian singer, Khatereh Parvaneh, presents the poetry of Rumi in a piece in dastgah shour; she performs with minimum ornamentation to maximum effect, accompanied only by a hammered zither. Senegalese artist Musa Dieng Kala offers one of the most stirring vocal pieces on the set, an a cappella masterwork. As with most of the Network sets, this is a gorgeous package, with great photos and excellent liner notes on the history and the music, in English, French, and German. --Louis Gibson

Tracks:

Dastgah of Homayoun\Hassan Kassayi
Meditation\Sheikh Hamza Shakkur & Ensemble Al-Kindi
Dastgah of Shour\Khatereh Parvaneh
Devonah Shaw\Davlatmand\
He Has Not Come\Munadjat Yultchieva
Sheikh Ahmad-E-Jam\Mohammad Rahim Khushnawaz
Fangara Fangarie\Maalem Si Mohamed Chaouqi
Ashik Muslum Sumbul\Durnalar Sema'i\
Kafi of Shah Abdul Latif/Rag Lorrao\\Sohrab Fakir
Haqq Ali Ali\Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Tracks:

Tekbir; Taleal Bedru Aleyna\Ercan Irmak
La Illah Illah Allah\The Women's Ensemble of Ferghana
Tala A Al-Badru Alaina\Fawzy Hafez
Saru Khani\Ostad Elahi
Dhamal Qalandar Shahbaz\\Husna Naz
Shakawtu (A Capella)\Musa Dieng Kala
Qasidat\Kani Karaca\
Zikr Hymn\Ahl-E Haqq Dervishes
Zikr Song\Qaderi Women From Kurdistan
Qalandari Tune (Khorasani)\Yar Mohammad
Kali Kamaliya Wale\The Sabri Brothers

Amazon.com

While the Sufi musical tradition of Pakistan is well documented in the popular press because of the work of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his predecessors, the Sabri Brothers (both represented with excellent tracks in this collection), the wealth of great art from this religious culture is often left unheard. This two-CD set rectifies the problem with style and beauty. Not only Pakistan, but Egypt, Senegal, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and many other countries in Asia and the Middle East have rich traditions of devotional music from loosely defined Sufi roots, from the simplest solo singer to lush orchestras of percussion, harmoniums, and massed voices. Each of the 21 tracks on Sufi Soul is worth your attention: the incredible passion of a women's choir from Uzbekistan; the sparse, gentle flute solo of ney master Hassan Kassayi; a rare tanbur (lute) and vocal track by Ostad Elahi; a Balachi song for sorud (fiddle). There are standout tracks that need to be mentioned. The frame drum and qanun (zither) come together in Ensemble Al-Kindi for a dramatic, almost avant-garde feeling. An amazing Persian singer, Khatereh Parvaneh, presents the poetry of Rumi in a piece in dastgah shour; she performs with minimum ornamentation to maximum effect, accompanied only by a hammered zither. Senegalese artist Musa Dieng Kala offers one of the most stirring vocal pieces on the set, an a cappella masterwork. As with most of the Network sets, this is a gorgeous package, with great photos and excellent liner notes on the history and the music, in English, French, and German. --Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews:

Music to reflect by.......2000-06-15

This CD set is one of my two favorites; the other is the Desert Songs compilation by this same label. This very well recorded selection, brings you into the location and mindset of the various Musicians. The really nice presentation, with extensive liner notes, pictures and the sheer wealth and variety of sufi/mystic music from around the world, make this double CD set a thoughtful present for friends interested in esoteric music or Middle Eastern music. It is music to relax and meditate by, music to do your work and dream with. Highly recommended.

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