Dreamy Sunrise [Import]

1. Enshrouded

2. Roses for You

3. Dreamy Sunrise

4. Land of the South

5. Call of the Rooster

6. Walking Tall

7. Bird of the South

8. I Chose You, My Homeland

9. Beirut - Pictures in Black and White

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
Marcel Khalife was born in 1950 in Amchit, Lebanon. He studied the Near Eastern lute, known in Arabic as the oud at the National Academy of Music in Beirut. Although at that time playing the oud was governed by very strict technical rules, Marcel Khalife and other musicians have since expanded the rules and developed the oud's potential. Khalife taught at the National Conservatory of Music and other institutions from 1970 to 1975. During that time, he also performed solo concerts throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and North America. In 1972, Khalife formed a group of musicians in Amchit, the town where he was born. The group, which then performed throughout Lebanon, wanted to revive Arabic music and its choral heritage. The Amchit group was an experience Khalife built upon to launch Al-Mayadine Ensemble in 1976, which soon won high renown. He and Al-Mayadine Ensemble continue to perform in concerts in the Arab world, Africa, Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, and Japan. Starting in 1974, he has collaborated to write music for the dance shows of the Caracalla Dance Troupe. The powerful combination of Khalife's music and the troupe's dance has given birth to a new style of Near Eastern ballet with a popular appeal. He has also written soundtracks for documentaries and films directed by the late Maroun Baghdadi, Sophi Sayhf Eddin, and Sami Zikra. The Arabic musical library has been enriched by scores of Marcel Khalife's works, surpassing 20 productions. Khalife's musical scholarship, particularly his mastery of the oud, express themselves in a seminal work the composer started writing in 1982, a six-part Anthology of Studying the Oud. In this work, he dwells on the theory and application of studying the instrument. A set of chapters are devoted to oud duo, trios, and quartets.

Marcel Khalife has received many honors and awards throughout his long and highly acclaimed career, including:

1. Medal of Cultural Merit, Tunisia
2. Star of the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism
3. Golden Dagger of the United Arab Emirates
4. Citation of Merit of the Cultural Lebano-Australian Club, Sydney
5. Ivory Medal - Abidjan
6. An honor from the Venezuelan Cultural League - Maracaibo
7. Citations of Merit from Berlin, Cuba, Bulgaria, and Yemen
8. Certificates and Letters of Appreciation from the Cities of Los Angeles, San$

Tracks:

The Luv
Une Nuit a Ramatuelle
Feel High
All U
Another Day (dub vocal version)
Fallen Into It
The Arrival
From the Root
Maybe Soul
Dimension Transition
Rise Again
Sunrise Moonrise (extended version)

Product Description

Born in Memphis, TN, USA, Kimani lived his early years in various parts of the southern U.S. before settling in Miami, FL. While learning to play musical instruments (piano, bass, saxophone), he also indulged in another passion: buying vinly records. After attending Howard University in Washington, DC., he put down roots in DC and, along the way, befriended and mingled with a number of the Washington, DC/Baltimore, MD area's talented house and downtempo artists/DJs. 12 inch record releases soon followed. Well received Kimani records include 12 inch EPs on Strictly Rhythm, i! Recordings, Groove On, K2 Recordings, Kumba Records, and Soul Boy Records. A full length CD, Afro Kozmik Soul, was released in 1999 on Step Ahead Records and saw the licensing of one of it's songs (Kozmik Listening 101) for The Spirit of the Street -The Very Best of Inner City Cool Part II compilation CD on London's JazzFM label. Additional work includes his downtempo/r&b production of "Whenever" on Jody Watley's Midnight Lounge album (joining the company of King Britt, Masters at Work, Ron Trent, and Dave Warrin.) His work with Jody Watley also includes a house dub version of Whenever that was released in 12 inch format on the Peace Bisquit label.