Customer Reviews

The Music of Islam Sampler

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

 

 

This is a great introduction to the wide range of musical styles in the Islamic world. The booklet insert, which has a lot of history on the subject, includes a map with a brush stroke from Morocco and Southern Spain to Indonesia, visually showing what a large part of the world it occupies...some of my favorite tracks are:

# 1: Baqara Surah II, 1-5. A reviewer noted that this should not be labeled "music" as it is the Word of God, and he has a point, except it's also God-inspired music ! Therefore, to my way of thinking, acceptable, and if listening to the beauty of it might incline anyone to read the Quran, so much the bettter.
# 6: Ya Rabbat El-Hussen, from Yemen. The oud solos in this piece are sumptuous, melodic, gorgeous !
# 7: Raga Bairagi Bhairva, from Pakistan. I'm not usually a big raga listener, but this one is incredibly moving, with a lot of spirit and power.
# 8: Ratep Meusuekat, from Indonesia. This is the one track on this CD that's a new musical form for me...sung by a children's chorus, it's a delight.
# 14: Mawal 1, from Tunisia. A glorious piece, with alternating parts for voice and a wind instrument.
# 15: Scene Inauguration, from Morocco. A rousing instrumental, this Sufi ceremonial music is energetic and at times dissonant. it's also the longest piece on this CD at 9:17.
Total running time is 78:13, for this fascinating musical tour across a large part of this planet, and the recording engineers did a terrific job with the sound, which is excellent throughout.

For those of us interested in the cultural origins of the islamic world, this album is a 'must'. For those of us that know music to be the 'snapshot' of the philosophy and artistic creativeness of a 'people', this album provides the insight to the core of islamic belief. For those of us not fully prepared to invest the money for the complete set, this will do. (at least for the moment) The selections are truely representative of the musical spectrum of the genre and 'get better' the more one hears the subtlties and undertones captured in this CD. Highly recommended!

This CD is absolutely incredible. Anyone who has a deep appreciation for the Arab culture will adore this recording. It offers such a range of Islamic music. From Yemen to Morocco to the Phillipines, it hits every major Islamic country. It even offers a beautiful Quran recitation. If you love Arab culture I HIGHLY recommend this CD!

I like the variety of this CD. I'm glad there is a Music of Islam sampler CD, so I can listen to different types of music before I purchase the individual Music of Islam CDs (the set itself is pretty big and expensive).