BUKRA

Rabih Abou-Khalil

Prog Folk

3.96 | 6 ratings

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octopus-4
Special Collaborator
RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

I was changing home when one of the movers stepped into my oud just arrived from Turkey. This is why I never learned to play it. Said so, I think this is my first review of an oud maestro.

If Indo-Raga has its own section here on progarchives, maybe the Lebanese Rabih Abou-Kahlil would deserve one of its own. There's some Indian flavor, thanks to Ramesh Shotham, an indian percussionist, but there's also a lot of jazz brought in by the contrabassist Glen Moore and the Saxophonist Sonny Fortune. Let's mention also Glen Velez, the other percussionist featured on this album.

All this jazz is immersed into a middle-eastern base, which leaves room to the possibility of various instrumental solos. Remarkable the bass at the beginning of the title track.

My favorite track, anyway, is "Remember...The Desert". Its atmosphere gives me a lot of good sensations. Think to be watching Pink Floyd at Pompeii, while they play Set The Controls, in a very hot and sunny day.

On track 5, "Nayla", Abou-Kahlil plays a very good Oud solo, showing the potential of his instrument. The only positive consequence of the bloody civil war fought in Lebanon in the 70s, is to have given Abou-Kahlil the possibility of moving to Germany and be known outside his Country.

If you like Mahavishnu Orchestra and the fusion between jazz and popular middle-eastern music, this album is absolutely a must have. Many years ago, a singer-songwriter told me that in his opinion, there is a line which connects the musical roots of all the indo-european peoples, from India to Ireland. Listening to how a western instrument like a sax interacts with Oud and Tablas in Nayla, I think he was right.

I'm only missing a narghile and the flavor of a cedar.

octopus-4 | 4/5 | 2021-4-1

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