Customer Reviews

Bellydance With Ozel: Alla-Turca With Ozel

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

 

 

I just love this CD. If you prefer your bellydance arabic (especially modern egyptian pop), this isn't for you. If, however, you like old-school Turkish or American Traditional style belly dance (which was heavily influenced by turkish dancers), this is for you. Also recommended: Gypsy Fire by Hagopian and Tekbilek.

What I like:
- it's all real instruments (not synthesizers)
- it's full of traditionally-rendered classics (songs that the bands I dance with know)
- virtuoso taqsims (instrumental solos) in a classic, jazzy Turkish style
- TWO karsilamas (turkish romani songs in 9/8 time)

What I don't like:
- the 14-minute is included as a single track, so I can't break out the individual sections)

This album is a must for any belly dancers' (ever growing) music collection. Ozel provides a good 14 minute Turkish routine, and there are many diverse tracks on here which are great for teaching the different rhythms associated with turkish belly dance as well. One person's chiftitelli is not the same as another's, and I have found this album very helpful in demonstrating how different turkish music and egypto-arabic music are to my classes. Very classic turkish belly dance album, and very recommended. I didn't think it was at all 'cheesey', but to each their own.

...well - I'm not Turkish and I don't exactly bellydance - but this album is a classic and a must own for anyone with more than a passing interest in bellydance / Turkish / Middle Eastern music. The songs are all convincingly played - even the standards. And I just really like Ozel's voice on the numbers she sings. Maybe it's me, but she just has a magic way of conveying these age old songs, most of which have roots in folk/gypsy music. Each note of her voice has this weird timeless quality I can't put my finger on... and yes there's the usual slice of cheese or two - there's gotta be cheesy-ness in all bellydance music or it just 'aint bellydance music!