Album: Abu Nawas Rhapsody
Artist: Dhafer Youssef
Country: Tunisia

Dhafer Youssef (born 1967 in Teboulba, Tunisia) is a composer, vocalist, and oud player. He has been living and working in various European countries since 1990. During this time he had the opportunity to perform his music on stages in Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and other countries as well as his native Tunisia (where he started singing in the Islamic tradition  at age 5 ).

Dhafer Youssef’s music is rooted in the Sufi tradition and other mystical music but has always been wide open to ideas from any other musical culture as well as the jazz scene. With his poetic approach on the oud (the Arabic lute), his complex Arab-colored compositions and especially his deeply affecting singing when humming along with his melodies, Dhafer Youssef is one of the most impressive voices to emerge in this musical field in many years. Testifying a wide range of sound colors, stylistic facets and musical ingredients, Dhafer Youssef opens the way to a new definition of East-Western crossover.

http://www.dhaferyoussef.com/

Track List:

01 -  Sacré (04:55)
02 -  Les Ondes Orientales (09:10)
03 -  Khamsa (07:39)
04 -  Interl’Oud (01:44)
05 -  Odd Elegy (04:54)
06 -  In The Name Of Love (04:08)
07 -  Shaouk (02:08)
08 -  Shatha (05:23)
09 -  Mudamatan (04:52)
10 -  Sabaa (Hayastan Dance) (05:01)
11 -  Sura (06:07)
12 -  Profane (04:40)

Duration: 60:39 | Bitrate: 320 kBit/s | Year: 2010 | Size: 140 mb

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Dhafer Albums on Suraj :
Dhafer youssef – 2008 – Live at Cully Jazz Festival 2008 ظافر يوسف – مهرجان الجاز في مدينة كولي في سويسرا
Dhafer Youssef – 2003 – Digital Prophecy
Dhafer Youssef – 2001 – Electric Sufi

Tags: Abu Nawas, Dhafer, Instrumental, oud, Rhapsody, Sufi, Suraj, Tunisia, أبو نواس, أبو نواس رابسودي, سراج, سراج على سراج, ظافر, ظافر يوسف, يوسف

Abdullah Chhadeh is a Syrian Qanun virtuoso from Damascus. Leader of the group Nara, composer, orchestral soloist and recitalist. The Qanun is an Arabic instrument that sounds as mystical and sonorous as the concert harp, as delicate as the virginal and as regal as the harpsicord. Chhadeh’s recordings and collaborations have included both solo performances and featured soloist work with Sinead O’ Connor, Jocelyn Pook, Natacha Atlas and David Arnold among others.

Nara was formed in 2001, an ensemble combining Abdullah’s qanun with a variety of traditional and mainstream instruments such as the nay (Arabic end-blown flute),Syrian accordion and Middle Eastern and Western percussion such as the frame-drum, daf, darbuka, kit-drums and double bass. An ever evolving musical project based entirely on Abdullah’s original compositions. In the first few months of its existence Nara has produced startlingly enthusiastic reactions from audiences, particularly at WOMEX and at WOMAD festivals in the UK and Canary Islands.

www.abdullahchhadeh.com

Track List:

1 -  Bab – Toma (07:31)
2 -  Al Salaam Alikum (04:04)
3 -  Keif (08:33)
4 -  Bab – Al Saghir (02:21)
5 -  Asaf (05:21)
6 -  Bab – Al Faraj (10:10)
7 -  Saltaneh (08:59)
8 -  Bab – Kisan (03:51)
9 -  Bab – Al Salam (07:34)
10 -  Bab – Sharqi (04:07)
11 -  Bab – El Jabi (02:07)

Duration : 64:38 | Bitarte : 220 VBR kBit/s | Year : 2005 | Size : 85 mb

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Tags: Abdullah Chhadeh, Damascus, Instrumental, Nara, Qanun, Seven Gates, سراج على سراج, سوريا, عبدالله شحادة, عزف, قانون

Bassem Rizk was born on April 10, 1979 in Achrafieh, Beirut (Lebanon). The capital was then ravaged by war, and resulted in the forced relocation of his family to Amchit near Byblos, cradle of the Phoenician civilization and the alphabet. Surrounded by a family of artists and largely inspired by the musical passion of his father, who also played this string musical instrument, Bassem was initiated to the rudiments of the oud (Arabic lute), at a very young age. At five-year old, Bassem drew media attention thanks to his exceptional talent and virtuosity playing on the oud, keyboard, and the tabla (percussion instrument).

Viewed as a true musical phenomenon, he was broadcasted on all the regional radio stations. At the age of fifteen, driven by his curiosity to learn more about the oud, he was introduced to the method of the “School of Iraq” tutored by the famous musician Munir Bashir. This great master of music awakened Bassem’s passion to take on in-depth studies in order to fully understand the complexity of the oud, whose origins date back more than 4000 years. During his studies, he returned to the roots of the fundamentals of the oud and studied different works and essays of school famous luminaries, Al-Sharif Mohiedine Haydar, Shouker Selman, and Jamil Munir Bachir.
After his own personal experimentation on the oud, he again attracted the attention of music critics with his performances of “maqam”, a style that demonstrates a great mastery of counterpoint and musical discourse. At the age of twenty, he enrolled at the National Conservatory in Beirut.
Throughout his journey, Bassem deepened his musical culture appreciation through his studies of theories of eastern music. He participated and won the 3rd prize at the prestigious international competition of the Arab League in cooperation with the University of the Holy Spirit at Kaslik – USEK, Lebanon.
Bassem is tenacious in contributing assiduously to the development of different approaches related to the musical oud. Driven by his love for music and this noble instrument, Bassem aims to provide a new tone -, a young, updated and modern musical approach accessible to all.
Through his musical research he has envisioned and developed ways that enable him to break the “wall” between East and West. He has drawn the attention of various directors in the theaters and movies industries for whom he has composed original music to underpin their respective works.

In 2004, he released his first CD entitled “Echoes From A Past” upon containing all exclusively original compositions bear his signature. In 2005, Bassem completed the development of a new oud method, which began to be taught at the EDMGY, (The Ghassan Yammine school of music) in Lebanon.
Bassem currently performs on prestigious musical stages in Lebanon and various European countries. Considered by many critics to the new hope of classical Arabic music, Bassem Rizk is currently one of the pillars of his generation regarding for his knowledge and mastery of the oud.

http://www.bassemrizk.com/

Track List:

1 -  To My Father (إلى أبي (05:21
2 -  Hanine (حنين (04:36
3 -  Catoons (صور متحركة (01:50
4 -  Hijaz Kar (حجاز كار (08:06
5 -  Echoes From A Past (صدى من ماض (02:06
6 -  Organza (أورغانزا (04:31
7 -  Hamasat (Whispers) (همسات (04:40
8 -  Story Of Roses (حكاية ورد (02:49
9 -  Virtuose (فيرتويوز (03:59

Duration : 33:58 | Bitarte : 192 kBit/s | Year : 2004 | Size : 59 mb

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Tags: Bassem Rizk, Instrumental, Lebanon, oud, باسم رزق, سراج, سراج على سراج, عود, لبنان

This is the first album by one of Syria’s most popular instrumental bands. The leader and clarinet player Kinan Azmeh is a graduate of the famous Juilliard School of music, and the only Arab musician to have received the first prize at the Rubinstein competition. The band also includes oud player and conductor of the Oriental Orchestra Issam Rafea and soprano Dima Orsho. Their music is a “dialogue” (Hewar) between jazz, classical and oriental music .

Bringing together an amazingly diverse array of musical influences, and drawing from a variety of musical traditions—namely Arabic, jazz, scat, opera and classical music; is what makes Hewar a truly unique venture. The band, building on the acclaimed individual talents of its members, juxtaposes and meshes these styles to create a truly one-of-a-kind genre-defying musical experience.

Issam Rafea, Dima Orsho, Simon Mreach, Khaled Omran, Badi Rafea, Kinan Azmeh

The band includes clarinet player Kinan Azmeh, Oud soloist Issam Rafea, and lyrical Soprano Dima Orsho, all of whom are alumni of the Syrian National Orchestra. They live in various parts of the world, however, which enhances the band’s cultural medley of influences and musical tastes.
Hewar released their first album in 2005 in Beirut and Damascus; it was produced by Incognito. The latter also released the band’s next album, ‘9 Days of Solitude’, in 2007; it was recorded in collaboration with three distinguished musical guests: Manfred Leuchter, Steffen Thormahlen and Antoine Puetz.

Featuring: Kinan Azmeh – Clarinet | Issam Rafea – Oud, Vocals | Dima Orsho – Vocals | Badi Rafea – Percussions | Simon Mraych – Drums | Khaled Omran – Double bass
Music: Kinan Azmeh (2,6,7,8) | Issam Rafea (1,3,4) | Ghanem Haddad (5)

http://www.kinanazmeh.com/
http://www.dimaorsho.com/
http://www.khaledomran.com/

Track List:
1- Departure Issam Rafea رحيل
2- Evening Kinan Azmeh مساء
3- Project Issam Rafea مشروع
4- Loquacity Issam Rafea ثرثرة
5- Dance Ghanem Haddad رقصة
6- Prayer (Tribute to Edward Said) Kinan Azmeh صلاة
7- Rituals Kinan Azmeh طقوس
8- Ink Kinan Azmeh حبر

Duration : 64:22 | Bitarte : 224 kBit/s | Year : 2005 | Size : 111 mb

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Tags: Dima Orsho, Hewar, Instrumental, Issam Rafea, Kinan Azmeh, Syrian, حوار, ديما أورشو, سوبرانو, عصام رافع, عود, كلارينت, كنان العظمة