Subscriber Honest Jon's HJRCD35 Jamie Renton Back in the 1990S, Interstate Music Began Leasing 78Rpm Masters from the EMI Archives for Life!

65 II!llllJrn of occasions singing a cappella. The mood is VARIOUS ARTISTS calming but with a passion that's all the more powerful for its understatement and it all Sprigs Of Time: 78s From The EMI works surprisingly well without the stories Archive Honest Jon's HJRCD36 and the costumes (although if you want those, check the CD booklet). Give Me Love: Songs Of The Brokenhearted - Baghdad 1925-1929 www.dancingturtle.co.uk SUbSCriber Honest Jon's HJRCD35 Jamie Renton Back in the 1990s, Interstate Music began leasing 78rpm masters from the EMI archives for life! ... MAHSA & MARJAN for release on their Heritage and Harlequin imprints. They issued vintage African, fRoots is a truly independent, VAHDAT Albanian, Cuban, Greek, Puerto Rican, activist magazine that will soon cel- Portuguese, Sardinian and Spanish I Am Eve Kirkelig Kulturverksted FXCD 335 ebrate its 30th anniversary! We are compilations and I had a hand in it all. very proud that we have published The Vahdat sisters' However, with those labels' unavailability Kirkelig Kulturverkst- now, it's wonderful to see that this huge and every single issue on time. ed (KKV) debut, massively important archive of vintage world If you value, enjoy and believe in Songs From A Persian music is, thankfully, being mined once again, fRoots, you can help us to build on Garden, was the doc- and, with London Is The Place For Me what we have achieved, continue ument of a live recording, a soiree held in already under their belt, I cannot think of a our musical activism, and train peo- secret in the grounds of the summer residence better company than Honest Jon's to of the Italian Embassy in Iran. It was held in undertake it. ple to carry it on. You can become a secret because in Iran women are forbidden Here, following their West African Lifetime Supporting Subscriber from singing in public. The sisters' sequel is compilation Living Is Hard, we have a broad by making one lump contribution. again recorded in Iran, but this time the result sampler and a dedicated regional anthology You will then receive every fRoots of clandestine studio recordings, and once to consider. Sprigs Of Time furnishes us with until you shuffle off this jumping again a mixture of poems dating back asfar as 30 wide-ranging samples of the world's the 11th century and words from current writ- sphere, and you'll be helping to music as recording engineers found it secure the future of the one maga- ers. The acoustic settings by producer and between 1903 and 1957. It contains some composer (and Mahsa's husband) Atabak zine which has consistently support- remarkable performances from an Albanian Elyasi are spare to the point of austerity, shoket (clarinet) through a Portuguese fado ed this music through thick and thin allowing the voices to luxuriate in the space. to English singer Joseph Taylor's title for nearly three decades. Mystery is a wonderful track ("When the performance from 1903. You'll also find stuff moonlight of your eyes scatters night! It rains We've set a minimum of £550 for the from the Sudan, Spain, Japan, Georgia and flowers in my sorrowful field") with Mahsa's UK, £700 for Europe and surface else- elsewhere, so those of you who own, say the voice strong, clear and defiant over Pasha where, £900 for airmail outside Secret Museum Of Mankind sets on Yazoo or Hajai's sorrowful ney. There's an effortlessly Dust-To-Digital's Black Mirror, will know Europe. But if anybody feels able to heartbroken quality in Mahsa's voice, even what to expect. be a more generous patron, they can when singing Rumi's ecstatic lyrics, while Mar- specify their own figure. jan's voice has a more formal tone, though The Baghdad anthology is something equally piercing. Separately they are power- else again. It comprises 22 performances from Every Lifetime Supporting Sub- ful, when they come together, their strange 1925 to 1929 recorded for the Iraq i market. A scriber also gets the option to claim lively and diverse selection, it includes harmonies, such as on the setting of Rumi's free VIP tickets for any events we King Of Love, are extraordinary. traditional and contemporary pieces, sacred promote, and automatically receives KKV is a prolific label, founded by the and secular, in Arabic, Kurdish and Hebrew, any special CDs we are involved in. Norwegian church in 1974, and among its and as a portrait of what was available in output of sacred music and Norwegian folk Iraq in the last half of the 1920s, it's about as More info at www.frootsmag.com there are some surprising records: real gems good as you'll ever get on one CD. There are of delicacy. This is one of them. Where ECM in some startlingly bleak and blunt lyrics Germany has earned an untouchable reputa- transcribed here, offering insight into what tion for releasing records where the music people thought and felt at the time, which bribery! shapes the silence, KKV is fast becoming an turns out to be not a lot different from their 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BRIBE! concerns today. The background notes are international label to watch. Hear a track on As an introductory offer to new first this issue's fRoots 32 CD. excellent, a model of research clearly drawn directly from source material in the EMI time 1-year subscribers, we'll give www.kkv.musikkonline.no archives, and each performance is explained you 3 FREE BACK ISSUES of your Tom Jackson and contextualised. Very nice production choice - double issues with CDs count as 2 - from the list at Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat www.frootsmag.com 2 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BRIBE! Open to new subscribers or renewals: a FREE CD if you sub- scribe for 2 years. See the full list at www.frootsmag.com which includes albums by Jim Moray, Franco, Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy, Les Amazones De Guinee, Toumani Diabate, John Spiers & Jon Boden, Kries, Orchestra Baobab, Yasmin Levy, Martin Simpson, Sa Dingding, Oyster- band, Balla Et Ses Balladins, June Tabor, Blue Blokes 3, Andrew Cronshaw, The Copper Family and great compilations including Authentiques, Stepping Up, Hidden English and various Rough Guides.

Allow 3 weeks for UK delivery, longer abroad. Alternatively, pick 6 FREE BACK ISSUES - double issues with CDs count as 2 - from the list at www.frootsmag.com enn Ihnen die erstgenannten oder aueh in die Zeit des yon der Revolution anhing, erlebten sie das neue Regime als eines, lam en und Begriffe vertraut vertriebenen Sehahs Pahlavi und dessen Kultur das dem eigenen Leben enge Grenzen setzt, ZU sind, die letztgenannten funf viel reiehhaltiger ist, als die Naehriehtenbilder enge. Dass aueh die Pahlavi-Herrschaft keine Namen aber niehts sagen, sind und Zeitungsartikel es uns vermitteln. war, die die Mensehenreehte aehtete, soli hier Sie wahrseheinlieh ein aufmerk- Botsehafterinnen dieser tieferen Dimension nieht geleugnet werden, aber in maneher Hin- samer Naehrichtenverfolger oder ihrer Heimat sind die Sehwestern Mahsa und sieht bot sie naeh westlichem Vorbild seinen eine am Zeitgesehehen interes- Marjan Vahdat, zwei junge Frauen, geboren Burgern Freiheiten, die ihnen die Mullahs wie- sierte Zeitungsleserin, aber es 1973 und 1976 in Teheran. Die Botsehaft, die der nahmen. Zu dies en Freiheiten gehorte nieht entgeht Ihnen doeh die kulturelle Dimension sie vermitteln hat wiederurn zwei Dimensionen nur die Moglichkeit, sieh als Frau ohne Kopftueh dieses Landes, dessen Gesehichte vie! weiter und zwei Zielgruppen. In einer Familie aufge- in der Offentlichkeit zu bewegen, sondern aueh, zuruckreicht als in das Revolutionsjahr 1979 waehsen, die der islamisehen Revolution nieht als Sangerin offentlich aufzutreten. Letzteres hat

5.09 FOLKER sie zwar nicht im Iran offentlich als Sangerinnen .Jranisehe Kiinstler haben gelernt, wie sie auftreten, aber ungehindert das Land verlassen und wieder zuruckkehren, 1m Ausland besteht Dinge indirekt ausdriicken konnen." ihr Publikum gleichermafsen aus (Exil- )Iranern und Nieht-Iranern. Erstere verstehen die Texte sehr wohl eine lange Geschichte im Iran. Heute Auch der Lobpreis des Weines ist alles andere als und sind vertraut mit der Kunst von Ironie und hingegen gilt die weibliche Stimme den Sitten- islamisch korrekt und taucht doch so oft auf in Mehrdeutigkeit, letztere finden diesen Zugang wachtern als zu erotisch, urn sie der Offentlich- den Texten der Sufis, der islamischen Mystiker, nur uber Umwege, aber geniefsen die Schonheit keit zuzurnuten, ebenso wie das weibliche Haar. so auch hier und da bei Maulana Dschalal ad- der Musik und entwickeln so ein anderes Gefuhl Auch fur die Vahdat-Schwestern wird da keine Din Rumi (1207-1273), dem beruhmtesten aller fur die persische Kultur. "Die iranische Poesie", Ausnahme gemacht. Das offentliche Spielen Sufis, dessen Wirkungsbereich zwar hauptsach- so Mahsa Vahdat, "ist voller Ironie. Iranische von Instrumenten ist ihnen erlaubt, aber wenn lich auf dem Gebiet der heutigen Turkei lag, das Kiinstler haben gelernt, wie sie Dinge indirekt sie im Iran singen, dann in privaten Raumen aber damals zum persischen Reich gehorte. Der ausdrucken konnen." Paradoxerweise ist es ihre oder allenfalls in kleinen Salen mit nur weibli- von ihm gegrundete Orden ist noch heute fur Funktion als Botschafterinnen eines positiveren cher Zuhorerschaft. ,,!eh denke nicht, dass wir die Derwische beruhmt, die im Tanz die Ver- Iranbildes, die in den Augen des Regimes die dadurch irgendetwas Illegales tun. Wir treten einigung mit Gott erreichen wollen. Den Vah- Vahdat-Schwestern als imagefordernd erschei- nieht offentlich auf im Iran, und so tun wir gar dat-Schwestern geht es bei ihrer Rezeption der nen lasst, nichts gegen das Gesetz", meint Mahsa Vahdat. sufischen Texte indes weniger urn ihre religiose Fur die internationale Karriere der beiden Aber sie singen im Ausland, in Norwegen, in Bedeutung als urn den Grad an Freiheit, den sie erwies sich 2004 das CD-Projekt Lullabies From Italien oder in Deutschland, wo Marjan in Koln ausdrucken - Freiheit von geistlicher Bevormun- The Axis Of Evil des norwegischen Produzenten Musikwissenschaft studiert und wo beide in dung, Freiheit in der Bestimmung des eigenen Erik Hillestadt als sehr forderlich, das Musi- Rudolstadt auf dem TFF in der Stadtkirche ein Verhaltnisses zu Gott und den Mitmenschen. ker aus den von George W Bush so genann- Konzert gab en, begleitet von Mahsas Ehemann So sind sie sehr interessiert an Rurnis Liebes- ten "Schurkenstaaten" prasentiert. Auf diesem Atabak Elyasi an der Langhalslaute Setar, Pasha gedichten, die er einem anderen Sufi, Schams-e Weg kamen auch die Vahdats mit Musikern aus Hanjani an der Flote Ney und All Rahimi an der Tabrizi, widmete und interpretieren sie durch- ganz verschiedenen Musikkulturen zusammen Rahmentrommel Daf. aus sinnlich, wahrend es auch die Moglichkeit und lernten die Weltmusik kennen. Sie selbst Eines erschhefst sich den europaischen Zuho- gibt, in Ihnen Allegorien zu sehen, genau wie im beschranken sich zwar auf iranische Musik, aber rern schnell, namlich der Reichtum persischer Lobpreis des Weines. beirn Zusammenspiel mit den anderen Kolle- Melodien, Rhythmen und Arrangements, wenn Von der Moglichkeit der Mehrdeutigkeit der ginnen und KoUegen entsteht schon hier und auch alles fur unsere Ohren orientalisch-exo- Texte machten iranische Schriftsteller und Musi- da eine Fusion oder zumindest eine westliche tisch klingt. Schwieriger wird es mit den Texten, ker seit eh und je Gebrauch, und auch die Vah- Begleitung zu den nahostlichen Texten, so auch nicht nur, weil sie auf Farsi gesungen werden. dat-Schwestern verstehen sich auf diese, in Zei- auf ihrem zweitneusten Alburn Songs From A Auch englische oder deutsche Ubersetzungen ten der Zensur uberlebensnotwendige Taktik. Persian Garden, das von vier Iranerinnen und helfen nicht sofort weiter. Es ist die Poesie einer Vor allem die Texte von Hafes (urn 1319-1369) Iranern sowie vier Norwegern eingespielt wur- fur uns doch ungewohnten Lebensart, sehr sinn- seien dazu sehr gut geeignet, da sie komplexer de. Die Melodien, die sie verwenden, sind denn lich, sehr suB, sehr schmachtend. Da braucht es als die yon Rumi seien, erklart Mahsa Vahdat. auch nur zum Teil traditioneU oder altherge- Erklarungen, Kommentare - und Zeit ... Wiirde die Zensur die Auffiihrung eines Textes bracht, einige sind auch neu komponiert, beson- verbieten wollen, konne man dies en auch so ders von Atabak Elyasi, oder improvisiert. erklaren, dass er fur das Regime ganz harmlos Das Leben irn Iran ist fur Menschen, die weder "Oh Liebe, ich wundere mich, erscheint. Indes stecke schon jede Menge Kritik mit dem Regime ubereinstimrnen noch ihr ich bin verzaubert von Dir an Scheinheiligkeit, an Instrumentalisierung Fahnchen mit dem Wind zu drehen bereit sind, Inder ganzen Welt bin ich bekannt als ein Irrer von Religion fur politische Zwecke und der- gefahrlich. Ach, konnten sie nur aus ihren Gra- Der Majnuni-Briefbeginnt mit mir gleichen in Hafes' Dichtungen. Im Iran ist er so bern steigen, al-Halladsch, Rumi und Hafes, Obgleieh, vor diesem qehorte ich zur Elite beruhrnt und beliebt wie hier bei uns vielleicht und den Regierenden die Wahrheit zeigen, die des Buches derWeisheit Goethe, der ihn in seinem West-ostlichen Divan die QueUe des Lebens ist! Aber vieUeicht sind Oh, mein Weinverkaufer, oh, meine Quelle auch einer deutschen Leserschaft zuganglich sie es langst in Gestalt von Mahsa und Marjan der Verzuckunq machte. "Die meisten Leute haben Hafes und Vahdat und bedienen sich ihrer verbotenen leh kann mein Lebensprickeln in Dirlinden, den Koran zu Hause. Er ist heilig. Sein Grabmal Stimmen ... ~ Ich bin eine Ney,und Du blast mieh ist ein Mekka fur alle Iraner, ob religios, ob nieht Wenn Du mich lebendig wilist, religios", sagt Mahsa Vahdat. Sein Grabmal in dann atme in mich hinein Schiraz ist eine Pilgerstatte, und diese Beriihmt- Du bist Jesus und ieh war tot seit heit schutzt natiirlich auch die, die seine Texte eintausend Jahren," heute verwenden. "Die Zensoren konnen sie www. rnahsavahdat.eom nicht barmen, denn Hafes und andere grofse C,Avaze 5houshtari" von Mansur al-Halladsch, Dichter sind ein Teil unseres Erbes und groBe urn 858-922, nach der englischen Obersetzung amen der Poesie." DISKOGRAFIE: von Mahsa Vahdat) Die zwei Dimensionen der Musik von Mahsa Songs From A Persian Garden (KirkeligKulturverksted, 2007) und Marjan Vahdat sind somit die, den Reich- J Am Eve (KirkeligKulturverksted, 2008) Doch eines merkt man auch hier: Dies ist nicht turn der iranischen Musikkultur jenseits der die Sprache religios-politischer Fanatiker. Nein, Tagespolitik ins Bewusstsein der Menschen zu es ist die Sprache der Liebe und der Mystik. bringen und mit Hilfe der alten und einiger Schon alleine die Verwendung eines Textes von neuerer Texte (wie von Tahareh Chorratole- Al-Halladsch konnte orthodoxen Muslimen in, Mohammad Ebrahim Iafari und Ali Akbar aufstofsen, denn er wurde wegen Gotteslaste- Sheida) eine ganz sublime und doch wirksame rung hingerichtet, weil er Satze wie "Ana l'haqq" Regimekritik zu betreiben. Die beiden Ziel- (,,!eh bin die Wahrheit.") ausrief fur ihn ein gruppen sind zum einen Iraner, zum anderen Ausdruck seiner mystischen Einheit mit Gott, Menschen anderer Lander. Die Schwestern fur seine Gegner eine AnmaBung und Blasphe- bernuhen sich dabei, sieh irnmer im Rahmen mie. der iranischen Legalitat zu bewegen. So konnen

FOLKER 5.09 on dede sazi at the opening, ruzba in the languages. The beauty of the text has middle, and the two instruments together inspired numerous musicians, the latest at the end. being the virtuoso oud player, Singer and Simon Broughton composer Mustafa Said. His approach is quite minimal - using only a quartet of Charbel Rouhana & The musicians, playing rik (tambourine), qanun Beirut Oriental (psaltery), nay (flute) and oud (lute) - Ensemble allowing for the greatest flexibility in an ad improvisation. The style of performance is Forward Music FWD014 very much that of a classical takht Mid Price (41 mins) (ensemble) with the musicians clearly **** influenced by both medieval and 19th Filigree craftsmanship from century trarlitions - a sound that suits the some of Beirut's finest atmosphere of the poetry especially well. It's now widely The playing is measured and graceful recognised that throughout and Said's vocal improvisations post-civil war Beirut are impressively athletic, though the sound has become the he produces may not be to all tastes. cultural capital city Translations of the poetry are not provided Sami Moukaddem that it deserves to be with the CD, but they can easily be he Facts e r eath and musicians like Charbel Rouhana are downloaded from the Forward Music he Pales n Kalan CD 453 symbolic of the city's renaissance. website, and the recording is certainly best Sami Moukaddem FuJIPrice (48 mins) Traditionally, formally educated players appreciated when listened to as a whole Mid Price {68 minx] *** looked West for their inspiration but the with these to guide you. As many Arab *** Intimate poems from a new generation are more conscious of their musicians are exploring new musical Unflinching collage of saz master Eastern heritage. However, Lebanon has avenues to create a contemporary Oriental politicised music & poetry Turkish saz player always been at the crossroads and the sound, it's reassuring that someone like It's impossible to Ul a s Oz d e m i r Beirut Oriental Ensemble's Mediterranean Mustafa Said should also be looking back pick up the lavish accompanies Iranian sound reflects this meeting of styles. Using and seeking inspiration from the glories of booklet that Kurdish ta nb u r a small collection of established Eastern the past. accompanies this player Ali Akbar instruments, the group's sense of ensemble Bill Badley CD and not be Moradi on their duo is faultless and the improvisations moved, especially CD The Companion (Hermes), and Moradi scintillatingly fresh: it's especially delightful Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat given the recent situation in Gaza. with Kayhan Kalhor on their album The to hear the Lebanese bouzok - a wire c e Extraordinarily vivid photos of Israeli Wind (ECM), but this is a new 5010 disc. It strung, long-necked lute - so prominently KirkeligKulturveksted FXCD 335 soldiers pointing rifles at Palestinian features music collected by Ozdernir and featured. Arab music purists may raise an Full Price: (60 min.') ) children and other scenes of the day-to- his father in Kahramanmara province in eyebrow at the inclusion of a bass guitar **** day horror of life in the West Bank are southern Turkey, from the Alevi-Bektashi but, in this context, it underpins the other Soulful singing from juxtaposed with notes explaining the repertoire of the local asik folk poets. instruments perfectly and you wonder why Iranian sisters political background to pieces of music Ozdernir knows many such performers and it isn't heard more often. The mood of the 'Singing is a blessing' and poems by Lebanese guitarist Sami his music recreates the intimacy and recording shifts with each composition; The opening line of _toukaddern. They have such no-holds- directness of their style. These songs are always erring on the tasteful side of easy Mahsa Vahdat's web barred titles as 'Dispossession; 'Re-writing traditionally heard within the muhabbet listening, the thoughtful side of relaxing and homepage speaks History' and 'The New Auschwitz Living (intimate gathering) section of religious the measured side of frantic virtuosity. from the heart of a Exhibition: Not being of Palestinian origin ceremonies of the Alevi-Bektashi. The Lebanon's blend of urbane sophistication singer who is unable maps make Moukaddem an even more word dem in Turkish has several meanings and exotic allure makes it an ideal first to perform in her home country, Iran, werful advocate for the cause. The - not simply breath, but a moment, an era, stop on a wary Europeans journey into where public solo singing by women is usic on his s If-released albwn is clearly and even wine. In Alevi-Bektashi poetry Arabia. If you consider Arab music to be restricted to all-female audiences. Most of 'leartfelt and born of a deep compassion there's always a spiritual dimension to the impenetrable, Hand Made, with its rich Mahsa and her sister Marjan's recordings a justifiable anger. texts and a song such as 'A~ik Oldur' is diversity of colour and feel, is probably the have therefore been released outside Iran, ;n a letter that arrived with the CD, about how the asik gives himself to his album to win you round. including their earlier collaboration with a raddern wrote: 'J am not sure what lover/God. It's a shame that the texts are Bill Badley group of Norwegian jazz musicians on . - ry it would go under; it has Arabic not translated, as many of them are by Songsfrom a Persian Garden (reviewed in 'Ours with wider influences.' That's important and outspoken Alevi Sufi mystics #50) and appearances on Lullabies from bly as close as it's possible to get. like Niyazi Misri (17th century) and Nesimi the Axis of Evil, both released by _ h of the material has a sombre, (14th century), who was skinned alive in Forward Music FWD016 Norwegian label Kirkelig Kulturveksted. e Eastern jazz flavour and perhaps Aleppo for his heretical beliefs. Mid Price (60 mins) On this new album, the sisters are osest analogue is the recent work Ozdernir has a good singing voice, but *** joined by composer Atabak Elyasi(Mahsas Iewish saxophonist Gilad Atzmon, it's as an instrumentalist that he makes the Persian poetry set beautifully husband) and an ensemble of some of plays on the album. The Irish Singer strongest impression here. He plays two The 12th century Iran's finest performers, as well as vocalist a Hartman handles most of the old kinds of saz (lute) - the larger dede sazi poem 'Roubaiyat EI Christophe Rezai (of the Nour Ensemble; 5, augmenting Moukadderns spoken (holy man's saz) which is sacred for the Alevi Khayam' isone of the heard on 'Mirage'). There is something rord passages. You can download the and played not with a plectrum, but with toweringmonuments indescribably soulful and deeply magical entire package - music, photos and text the fingers, and the small two-string ruzba, of world literature; it about the voices of these two women. - for free at www.samimoukaddem.com. which has a delicate, treble sound. The eight has been translated They really are a treat to listen to, Nigel Williamson poems are framed with three instrumentals from the original Persian into almost 50 particularly the passages where the two

78 Songlines March 2009 REVIEWS

voices weave in and out of each other, disappeared. The three musicians on this Persians, Greeks and Romans; here the as they do on several tracks. The music recording lived in the port of Fethiye, close Arabs eventually succeded them only to draws on both Iranian classical and folk to the prime Turkish cruising destination of lose control successively to the Crusaders, music traditions and the instrumentalists Ludeniz. The three veteran musicians - the Turks, the British and the Israelis. In themselves come from a diverse range Ramazan Gungor, Ali Kivrak and Hayri Jerusalem, every street corner has its own of musical backgrounds. The liner notes Dev - playa small three-stringed saz martyr or monument, saint or shrine. Its are beautifully put together with all of the known as baglama or iictelli (literally soil is drenched in blood spilt in the name lyrics presented in both Persian, Kurdish 'three-strings'). The instrument has a light, of religion; its mental hospitals are full of and English. delicate sound and, like a lot of nomadic whole hagiarchies of lunatics claiming to be This CD is a statement of the power of music, is played solo - often with David, Isaiah, Jesus or Mohammed. the female voice, as reflected both in the percussive and rhythmic effects, as much of Iordi Savall's new project, a highly music, the lyrics - including one track set the music was intended for dancing...... __. -.... ambitious and massive two CD ASian Dub Foundation 'Punkara' to the poetry of 19th female poet Tahereh This repertoire is from celebration of the music of this "A fresh and inventive sound, this Ghorratolein, a pioneer of women's rights another age and these players bloodiest of cities, holy to album contains genuine classics" In Jerusalem, SOl'rGLIl'1ES w••.••.•••a•s.tendub roundat ion. com in Iran - and the liner visuals which were probably the last of every corner has three religions and the cause include a statue of the ancient Iranian their kind. They are playing its own martyr or of centuries of bloodshed goddess of fertility from 1,200 BC; as the instruments homemade monument, saint between them, is little short opening title-track says: 'my body is thefirst from apricot, mulberry and or shrine of a revelation. It is certainly verse in the poem of creation: Above all, juniper wood, with great much more successful the album is a testimony to the resilience skill and dexterity. At least they than the clumsy translation and creativity of women musicians in Iran have been recognised by some of of its French title: La Ville des who, despite many odds, continue making Turkey's leading saz players - Arif Sag, Deux Paix as 'The City of Two Peaces' their voices heard through albums such as Erdal Erzincan and Erol Parlak - who all would indicate. Two pieces maybe, as the this. They are certainly worth listening to. performed in a 1995 concert in Fetiye in Palestinians would certainly hope, but Mahsa Vahdat sings as part of the Iranian honour of Ramazan Gungor. Since the even one peace is usually stretching it in Women's Voices concert at Cadogan Hall mid-90s, when the recordings were made, Jerusalem. on February 11. Gungor and Kivrak have passed away, so The project, which involves musicians Titi Robin 'Kali Sultana' Laudan Nooshin it's great that this CD, with detailed notes and collaborators from 14 nations, is most "One of those wizard fuJger pickers and diagrams of their playing techniques, successful on the early music ground that is that can master any instrument that looks even vaguely like a exists as a testament to their art. most familiar to Savall and the set contains guitar"Charlie Gillet EEe Radio 3 VARIOUS ARTISTS T Simon Broughton some superb renrlitions of the chanson of www.thierrytitirobin.com the Crusaders that compares favourably The Baglama of Jerusalem: The City of with earlier attempts to bring similar e a o Peace pieces to life by David Munrow and others. Ocora CD560213 Alia VoxAVSA9863 One of the stars here is Savall's longtime Full Price (71 ruins collaborator, the Catalan tambour player, Pedro Estevan. Three*** saz masters get Perhaps the biggest surprise on the their due album is the fabulous Sufi music, performed Over the past 15 by the Palestinian group, al-Darwish from years, Ocora has Galilee with Omar Bashir on oud. There is released four discs of a wonderful track called 'Danse du Soma' music from the Yayla which is probably the liveliest on the set, Titi Robin'Ces vagues que - the pastures of and which perfectly captures the excitement l'amour souleve' south-western of a Sufi dance session. t!ominated for the BBe Radio WorM Turkey. In the old days, shepherds - The ancient Jewish temple music 1iusic Awards (European Category) 2008 . WI',n;I.lIlyspa.ce • com/tb1erryt1 tirob in generally of nomadic Turkmen roots - recreated with frequent use of the spent the summers up in the mountains Abrahamic shofar (ram's horn) is haunting and then brought their animals down for and beautiful, partly thanks to the ethereal the winter. Now this way of life has voice of Savall's wife, the wonderful Montserrat Figueras. There is also a heartbreaking lament for the victims of Auschwitz, 'EI Male Raharnim' composed in 1941 and recorded in 1950. The old pre- rligital recording sits oddly beside the other material; yet it remains ~robably the single most beautiful track on the CD. The only flaw in the set are the moments when the conceptual framework of the CD Anthony Joseph and the means that some tracks are included for Spasm Band 'Bird Head Son' completeness - a Quranic call to prayer "The music will get you moving - an old skoal London funk groove" for example - which would not justify CLASH 1lAGAZUiE.vm'w.mjlspace.oom/adjoseph themselves on artistic grounds, and are All titles available on more of anthropological rather than great CD froE Kartel webutore: musical interest. William Dalrymple. OR on download: I Tuneu, :;.;1iusic, 7 :::'igital and many o t he r s March 2009 Songlines 179 n a I ve kij,rtel www.naive.fr