Silsila – Oud Duets

Back in the 1960s, arguments raged as to whether a white man could really sing the blues, and the same sort of niggling question sometimes crops up today when Europeans play instruments from other cultures. Marc Loopuyt and his son Thomas devote considerable energy in the accompanying booklet unnecessarily justifying Frenchmen playing the oud (Arab lute) as, judging from their performance on this disc, the answer is a very definite “yes, they can!” Recordings of oud duets are all too rare, which is surprising as the instrument lends itself perfectly to playing this way, especially when the empathy between the two players is so acute. The manner in which the two instruments support one another during solo passages and then intertwine in shared improvisations is one of this recording’s strong points. Marc Loopuyt is a highly-regarded ethnomusicologist and the starting point for these performances is quite academic: in stark contrast to the shiny new ouds and nylon strings favoured by many young players, the Loopuyts play restored old instruments, with gut strings and feather plectrums. The sound is gentler and a little less brightly defined; possibly not the most ravishing oud playing you’ll ever hear but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. Though slightly amateur, the ten-minute DVD offers an interesting opportunity to see the instruments in action.