Taraf Syriana

The four-piece Taraf Syriana is made up of virtuoso musicians from Syria, Lebanon, Moldova and Switzerland, now based in Montréal. Their repertoire is an infectious mix of Arabic and Balkan tunes, particularly enhanced by having the Romanian Gypsy manele composer and singer Dan Armeanca as a guest. It's he who composed the opening track ‘Me Dukhhap Tuke’, sung in Romani, with its chugging accordion and rattling darbouka (drum). It includes some fine instrumental solos. ‘Abdul-Karim's Tango’ was composed by the Syrian Roma Mohammed Abdul-Karim (1911-1989), known as the ‘Paganini of the buzuq’ (lute), and shows how tango music was prevalent across the region. Several of these tracks highlight the Gypsy presence in the Levant.

There's also the Balkan warhorse, ‘Jovano Jovanke’ with an ear worm tune in 7/8; it includes some lovely accordion, qanun and double bass solos that distinguish it from countless other versions available. But what's intriguing about this album is its highlighting of the links between the Balkans and the Middle East, perhaps through Gypsy and Jewish musicians of which we were unaware. The closing ‘Dialogue Intimes’ is a slow and introspective wind down, but leaves me feeling they should have been more adventurous.