Hafla

East meets West via North and South in this latest project from Siwan, an international collaboration of musicians headed by Norwegian Jon Balke, who derives much of his inspiration from Arab-Andalus culture. Leading from the keyboard, Balke directs Algerian vocalist Mona Boutchebak, Turkish kemençe (spike-fiddle) player Derya Turkan, Iranian tombak (frame drum) player Pedram Khavar Zamini and Norwegian drummer Helga Norbakken; alongside Bjarte Eike and Per Buhre from baroque specialists, Barokksolistene.

Balke begins with a setting of words from Wallada bint al-Mustakfi – the 11th century Umayyad Princess of Córdoba – later giving the same treatment to those of Ibn Zaydun, the great Arab-Andalus poet. This (and other material in Spanish and English) is complemented by wonderful playing from the solo instrumentalists, and backed by Barokksolistene weaving an intriguing blend of Oum Kalthoum-esque orchestral strings with jazz harmonies and rhythmic bass. Balke’s fluty synth is occasionally a little incongruous in a timbre that is otherwise mainly acoustic, but it doesn’t detract too much from the evocation of a hot, dusty lost world.