Customer Reviews

Alif: Love Supreme

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Turkish master Omar Faruk Tekbilek (with Steve Shahen and a host of talented musicians from Iran, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Spain and Turkey) really goes beyond limitations here, creating some of the most beautiful, ephemeral music I have ever heard. Despite the obvious Turkish influences, this music incorporates a wide range of styles from across the Middle East; Anatolian folk, Rromani (Gypsy), Greek, Bulgarian, Sufi, Egyptian, Azeri and classical influences can all be felt here, amongst others. Spanish guitar mixes with the Turkish ney. Its so amazing. This really is pan-Middle Eastern music, worthy of the name "Alif". It represents the whole of Middle/Near Eastern culture. Mere words alone cannot describe the beauty and elegence of this music. From the very beginning, "Dulger" calls to mind images from the heyday of the Ottoman Empire, and you will be moved by songs like "Laundry Girl" and "Dark Eyes". "Alif", the title track, is absolutely haunting, and "Dadash" is simply filled with splendor and wonder. And from there it goes to the lively and exotic "Ya Bouy". If you appreciate Middle Eastern or Mediterranean music, then there isn't a single song on this CD that will disappoint you. A note on the songs, by the way, is that they come from various sources. "Dulger" and "Alif" were originally Sufi devotional pieces, "Take a Flight" and "Forbidden Love" are contemporary arrangements in traditional styles, "Ya Bouy" was composed by the legendary Farid al-Atrache, "Don't Cry My Love" and "Lachin" are both based off folk songs, and "Dadash" is a medley of Anatolian styles. The sheer scope and range of these pieces, and the fact that they mix and match elements of different cultures and styles, means that it will likely appeal to any fan of Middle Eastern music. Even those who have never listened to Turkish classical music or any other music from that region will likely find this to be a wonderful buy. I strongly recommend this CD.

Tekbelek performed here in Boulder. I had not heard his work and was immediately taken by it. I lived in Istanbul for a year in the late 60's and developed a lifelong taste for Turkish and other Islamic musics, stretching out to world traditionaol styles in general. I have hundreds of recordings of mostly traditional styles from around the world, and many form Turkey.

I find that Alif is probably the closest to what I heard in the concert. It is NOT entirely traditional in arrangement. However, what one reviewer described as "murky" synthesizer I hear as a remarkable fusion of Western harmonic concepts and Turkish/Islamic makam modal theory and practice, and I think it works gloriously. This is the most mesmerizing of his recordings. If you want strictly traditional arrangements with exclusively traditional acoustic instruments, don't buy this. If you want a bold yet enchanting fusion of synth harmonies and beautifully played traditional instruments, this is wonderful. I usually dislike synth washes over traditional musics, it is so tacky almost all the time, but not this time, not to my ear. Truly glorious.

And the vocals are stunning, not just Tekbelek's but a host of female singers who join him individually. His instrumental work remains impeccable as does that of his group, including the fine percussion work of Shehan. Listen to the samples...they will tell you what you need to know about the role of the synthesizer in the arrangements. Then buy it and be enchanted.

I am not familiar with Tekbilek's earlier work (but soon hope to be), however I can say with certainty that this is one of the best albums I have bought in a long time. It's incredibly sensual and highly emotional-- really touching. A must for fans of Arabic/World music.

...so much disappointment. As a longtime Faruk fan, I was delighted to have an opportunity to hear him play a live concert with a small group of other very talented musicians. I bought this album specifically to have a recording of a tune that was new to me that night, "Gardener," but looked forward to finding several other gems, as has always happened for me with his albums.

Let me say that the first track is lovely - it is the only reason I keep the album. However, I would not have recognized "Gardener" if the track weren't named on the cover. The performance onstage was hauntingly beautiful, subtle, nuanced and traditional, yet vibrantly alive with emotion. The track on this album is none of those things. It is muddied, its emotional content lost, overburdened by too much of nothing that adds to the piece.

And that pretty much sums up my feeling about the album as a whole. World music can be terrific and stimulating. Cross-cultural exploration can be stunning when it reveals new dimensions of traditional music, as some of Faruk's work with Brian Keane has demontrated. But this album feels like someone just threw a bunch of things in a pot, then overprocessed it. I found myself wondering whether "producer and multi-instrumentalist" Steve Shehan understands the concept of "less can be more," a concept Faruk's previous albums and the concert that night displayed masterfully.

You have been curios about Middle Eastern music. You thought you may like it. If only you could get an album that will lead you gently into the genre. This album is it. Perfection in every track. Begin with track 4; "Dark Eyes" and you'll be hooked on OFT forever! An unbelievable artistic accomplishment!

Some of Faruk's earlier CDs (from the "Mystical Garden" period) are among my absolute favorites, both for listening and for dancing. However, his last effort, "One Truth," was a mixed bag, and this CD is a major disappointment, I think because of his collaboration with the keyboardist Steve Shahan. Although the first song is wonderful, the CD nosedives into mediocrity after that. The second track is agonizing because the keyboards and the singers seem to be performing different songs; and I didn't think anyone could do a dull version of the catchy "Shinanay," but this CD proves me wrong! Tracks 8-12 are less disjointed, and one could actually dance to some of them, but the murky electronic accompaniment obscures the tunes while not being interesting enough to listen to for its own sake. Faruk is a terrific traditional musician, and some of his previous collaborators (notably Brian Keane) have supported him well. While I admire artists who try to expand their range, I think Faruk has gotten badly sidetracked on his recent albums, and I hope he goes back to what he does best -- this decidedly ISN'T it.

I seem to have the knack of buying CDs where I simply love 1 track (& play it to death) whilst giving the rest a lukewarm reception. And that's the title of this review!! FORBIDDEN LOVE or Track #12 ....Haunting, Passionate, Wild, Wistful, Wailing, Rebellious, Brooding, Resigned ... all rolled into one & just so beautiful.
I find the fact that it was originally a Jewish song & now
sung in Arabic poignant too ... why can't folks in the Middle East just give & take from each other the way Artists do ? I firmly believe that truly good Music & Art is Beautiful & Pure....it transcends All races, All cultures, All divides & All religions.

Even though I am a Tekbilek fan ... great respect for his multi-talented musicality & actually like his voice...

Yeah....I'd still get this for that 1 track though .... Maybe one day OFT should compile all those rave favourites onto 1 disc...& then that would be guarantueed to go Platinum !!

I picked this album up in Spain, not knowing a lot about Tekbilek's work. The music was drifting out of the storefront of a tea store in Granada, and it stopped me and my friends in our tracks. I actually bought it out of the storekeeper's CD player! It's a brilliant album, folding in influences from around the middle east. The vocals and orchestrations are absolutely perfect. Highly recommended!