Customer Reviews

The Master Musicians of Jaouka Featuring Bachir Attar; Apocalypse Across The Sky

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This music requires strength. The musicians must have the stamina to maintain extended notes and rhythms that can last for hours in their native performances. Using simple drums, pipes, and strings, the Master Musicians of Jajouka are legendary for their trance-induction ceremonies of wild abandon. These tracks are but tiny samples of their wares; still, they are rich, complex, and other-worldly.

The first time I heard this, I was blown away! The music has a quality unlike anything else in any genre or time. There is simply nothing to compare it to; it's in a class all by itself.

Not long after I bought this on cassette, I attended a live solo performance of Bashir Attar, the group's leader. Within seconds, I was transported to another place; oceans, the full moon rising over the desert, wind blowing between two worlds. I attended a performance of the Master Musicians once when they performed outdoors. It rained, and the intensity of the rain and wind responded perfectly to their music!

Very few other groups have this kind of power.

I also had the honor of meeting and having dinner with Bashir Attar. He is a really friendly and engaging person, and full of fascinating stories. I will always treasure that meeting.

If you are interested in music that reaches beyond the norm, that affects the listener body, mind, and soul, and gives you a guided tour of worlds you never thought existed, the Master Musicians of Jajouka are for you.

I first heard this music in my friend's basement surrounded by a thick cloud of pot smoke. My God! Since then I've had the privilege to see them live at the Montreal Jazz Festival and now I'm hooked.

The people of Jajouka perform this incredible music in reverance to the Horned God Pan. The tracks range from mellow to manic, but always with a dark tinge. They use a type of horn that they play with sustained notes, nice and eerie sounding. And of course, rhythms to danse yourself into a frenzy.

This is some of the finest ritualistic music I've ever heard. Check out their other CDs as well.