Reviews

Andalusia of Love

Marcel Khalife

I thought I had become a bit tired of Marcel Khalife's musical activities. Popular as ever throughout the Arab world,...

Reviewed in issue April/2017

Prince of the Violin

Sami al-Shawwa

Sami al-Shawwa (1885-1965) introduced the Western violin to Cairo, devising new techniques for it and reinvigorating the art of modal...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017

La Voix de la Passion

Waed Bouhassoun

Three elements compete in La Voix de la Passion, an intriguing CD by Damascus conservatory graduates Waed Bouhassoun and Moslem...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017

Hologram Imparatorluğu

Gaye Su Akyol

Gaye Su Akyol hails from the cultural scene on Turkey's Black Sea coast, a melting pot for the arts where...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017

Hawniyaz

Hawniyaz

This is one of the projects born of Osnabrück's remarkable Morgenland Festival, which specialises in Near and Middle Eastern music....

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017

Tawahhud (Autism)

Asil Ensemble

Established in 2003 by Egyptian composer, musicologist and oud virtuoso Mustafa Said, Asil Ensemble aim to develop new Arabic music...

Reviewed in issue November/2016

Do Not Obey

Baba Zula

It's 20 years since Murat Ertel and Levent Akman founded the Istanbul-based psychedelic band Baba Zula. Firmly ensconced in that...

Reviewed in issue November/2016

Thulth

Tamer Abu Ghazaleh

Tamer Abu Ghazaleh plays a unique role in the Arabic music world. Based in Cairo, he is a Palestinian multi-instrumentalist...

Reviewed in issue November/2016

Passages

Constantinople

Constantinople expands the constellation of projects begun in 1998 by Iranian-Canadian setar (lute) player Kiya Tabassian. Passages features three other...

Reviewed in issue November/2016

Uzbekistan: Spiritual and Sufi Chant

VARIOUS ARTISTS

A brilliant compilation of sacred Uzbek chants from the remote and religious area of Ferghana Valley, this album shows how...

Reviewed in issue October/2016