3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb and beautiful!, May 10, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Far Away Lands (Audio CD)
The Sephardic Jews lived in medieval Spain, and later in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. As a long-time fan of Sephardic music, I can say that this is one of the best interpretations of Sephardic songs that I have ever heard. The songs have essentially been recorded in live, single takes, to recapture the essence of the folk elements in Sephardic music. This approach works very well, and the result is convincing and very moving.
The singing is excellent, and the instrumental accompaniments show great virtuosity. They include such exotic instruments as the 'ud (Middle Eastern lute), psaltery, Arabic drums, medieval harp, recorder, and fiddle. Tim Rayborn's playing is amazing, showing proficiency with a number of wonderful instruments.
Ensemble Florata have produced an excellent recording with crystal clear sound. If you are looking for a good introduction to this beautiful and haunting music, you can do no better than to start with this CD. Highly recommended.
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