Thulth

Tamer Abu Ghazaleh plays a unique role in the Arabic music world. Based in Cairo, he is a Palestinian multi-instrumentalist and composer whose wide range of activities include playing with Alif, the band he founded with the oud exponent and drummer Khyam Allami, while also running an independent music organisation, with its own record label, booking agency, magazine and PR department. He first became known for his solo work, though there has been a lengthy gap since he released his last solo album, Mir’ah, which reflected the turbulence of the second Palestinian Intifada back in 2006. His third set – Thulth being Arabic for ‘Third’ – is an astonishingly varied affair with almost constant mood changes, mixing lyrical, playful and furious passages, often within the same song. He plays oud, buzuq (fretted lute) and keyboards, and is backed by piano, bass and percussion, with Allami on drums, on a set that constantly surprises. So ‘Hob’, based on a seventh-century poem, matches rapid-fire vocals against gentle piano passages and unexpected, edgy backing vocals from Ghazaleh, while the musical twists on ‘Takhabot’ involve wailing, gentle and jazzy sections, and even an echo of the Pink Panther theme. An entertaining, adventurous return.