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World
and New Age Music Reviews
By
Cheryl Stiles, Linda Niemann, and
Kathryn Sargent
Born
in Turkey of Turkish and Egyptian
parents but now living in the United
States, Omar Faruk Tekbilek
is an extraordinary vocalist and
multi-instrumentatlist. His CD Alif
(Narada Productions) is a musical
testament to his diverse talents.
“Alif” is the first letter
of the Arabic alphabet, and it also
signifies the first letter for Allah.
The title track is about devotional
love in its myriad forms-divine
love, romantic love, sheer love
of life. This theme pervades the
album's twelve songs. The entire
CD is one lovingly crafted spiritual
journey. All twelve tracks are traditional
Middle Eastern folksongs, but they
are beautifully rendered and transformed
through Faruk''s artistry and
the considerable talent of the musicians
he has assembled. Though he is clearly
an original, his work might remind
listeners some of the Middle-Eastern
influenced music of Dead Can Dance
or Loreena McKennitt. Alif
is a radiant recording, worthy of
repeated listening. - CS
With
this sophomore recording, Echotropia
(Immigrant Music, Inc.), Greek artist
Kristi Stassinopoulou deserves
the widest possible audience among
world music aficionados. Kristi
spent her childhood in Greece where
she studied traditional folk music,
but was also inspired by rock groups
such as Jefferson Airplane and Blondie.
There are influences of other female
artists such as Kate Bush and Tori
Amos in her work. Kristi is clearly
her own artist, however, borrowing
from her rich musical heritage,
but adding layers of melody and
infectious percussion, and topping
everything off with her exquisite,
ethereal vocals. The title “Echotropia,”
comes from the Greek meaning of
“Echo” or “sound”
and of “tropia” which
means “turned around.”
This is a deeply sensual recording
and perfect for trance dancing.
Middle Eastern dancers may find
the track “Manjoun” exotic
and powerful. Kristi is an extremely
talented musician and composer,
and Echotropia is
one of the most exemplary world
music recordings to come along in
some time. - CS
Ancient
Future is the world's first
and longest-running group dedicated
to world fusion music. In fact,
the group actually coined the term
“world fusion” in 1978
to describe their then new style
music which blended musical ideas,
themes, instruments, and vocals
from different cultures. The long-awaited
new release, Planet Passion,
is the group's tour-de-force
and explores global love of a romantic
nature. Planet Passion
is an exquisite musical valentine,
combining breathtaking melodies,
rhythms, and instrumentation from
Africa, India, Asia, South America,
and the Middle East. Planet
Passion tells a mythical
love story through music about flirtation,
courtship, gods of love, betrothal,
seduction, and longing for the beloved.
Each track is so lovely, so evocative
that it's difficult to single
out favorites. The track “Semara”
is especially striking though. Semara
is the Balinese god of love and
throughout the piece the hypnotic,
distinctive sounds of the gamelan
are heard. Planet Passion
would be a wonderful gift for you
or for a loved one - a gift recorded
by Ancient Future, the true originators
of world fusion music. - CS
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