PRESENCE OF THE PAST
Brothers of the Baladi
Presence of the Past (BLD CD10)
Release Date: July 2005
Brothers of the Baladi are proud to release their tenth CD, Presence of the Past. This CD contains a smorgasbord of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern favorites with a few originals for desert. The songs are a tasteful combination of acoustic traditional instruments (Oud, Nay, Saz, Kanoon, Arghul, Mizmar, Violin, Doumbek/Arabic Tabla, Def and Riq) with a pinch of Western keyboard and electric bass, sung in Turkish, Arabic and Armenian.
The Brothers include the Greek classic, "Miserlou," written in 1938 but made famous by American musician Dick Dale - King of the Surf Guitar! "Ooskeh Gookas" (Where are you going ?) is an Armenian love song in 10/8 rhythm. There are two hot knee slapping percussion pieces performed on all forms of Middle Eastern drums, perfect for the aspiring bellydancer in us all. The band also covers compositions by both Farid el Atrache and Mohammed Abdel Wahab - two of the most famous of all Arabic writers. "Nay de Maghreb" is a steamy Arabic flute solo that will float the listener to the pyramids of Egypt, while "Parmaklik Ununde" is a haunting Kurdish political song. Several beautiful instrumentals flesh out the CD: "Ararat Vibration" played on baglama saz by Ishmael and "Wisemen," an original by Brothers' keyboardist Geoff George.
On this CD the Brothers of the Baladi celebrate a thirty year anniversary. Bandleader Michael Beach and bassist J. Michael Kearsey continue to gather musical influences and material from all over the world with the band's lynchpin groove in the rhythms of the Middle East. They are joined by past and present bandmates and friends from their international travels. Presence of the Past is a menu of musical spices that flavor the joyful and soulful music of the Brothers of the Baladi. Pass the hummous.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.baladi.comTrack List:
1. Ma Alley W'alt Loh
2. Miserlou
3. Bonjour
4. Raqs Leyla
5. Parmaklik Onunde
6. Nay de Maghreb
7. Ooskeh Gookas
8. Nebtidy M'nain el Hakiah
9. Ararat Vibration
10. Yavash Chabook
11. Wisemen
12. Salamet
13. Presence of the Past
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