Portals of Grace

Azam Ali | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 30, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B000069JJN
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,760 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead Can Dance meets Mediaeval Baebes, July 30, 2002

By 

Shantell Powell "The ShanMonster" (Kitchener, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Portals of Grace (Audio CD)

When you think of Persian or Indian music, you probably don't think of medieval European melodies. Azam Ali's Portals of Grace is just that, albeit tinged with an Arabic flair. Azam Ali is influenced by Hildegard von Bingen, and her mezzo soprano voice has the sombre, uplifting sound of a prayer. Master drummer Greg Ellis provides wonderful rhythm, and also vocal drones in "Inna-I-Malak".

Azam Ali's music reminds me of Lisa Gerrard, in a Dead Can Dance meets Mediaeval Baebes kind of way. Azam Ali is a musical polyglot, and the songs on this album come from eclectic sources: 12th and 14th century French Provencal, Sephardic, Judeo-Spanish, Brittany, 12th century Latin, 13th century Galician-Portuguese, Sweden, Byzantine, and Arabic.

This album is also great in a musical historical sense. "Lasse Pour Quois" is a tribute to the 12th and 13th centurey Trobairitz, the female poet-musicians who graced the courts of Europe. Most of these women have been forgotten. "A Chantar m'er" is the only extant melody written by one of these women, a Trobairitz by the name of Comtessa Beatrix de Dia. "Known as one of the greatest poetesses of all time, here she bitterly tells the tale of unrequited love for a man other than her husband. The opening line literally translates as, 'I must sing of that which I would rather keep in silence.'"

This cd will appeal to lovers of choral, ambient, world, and new age music.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavenly, Breath-taking, Spiritual, June 2, 2003

By 

Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Portals of Grace (Audio CD)

Azam Ali interprets Medieval songs from the 12th - 14th century with astonishing beauty, grace, and haunting vocals. Spine-tingling sensations arise when first hearing her voice. She captivates one's spirit with every track, whether the song is from Provencal, France, or a Sephardic Judeo-Spanish tune, or a 12th Century Latin chant. Her voice is clear, fresh, pure and other-worldly. Accompanying her voice are ancient instruments, the duduk, a hurdy-gurdy, and hammered dulcimer, on track #1. Track #2 is a classic Meditarranean melody from Spain, the Arabic flavor is obvious with instruments such as the oud and percussives. They provide an exotic Middle Eastern influence.

Track #4 begins with the tone of bells, simple, stark and meditative, next follows the Latin words of the German mystic, Hildegard von Bingen. Her spirituality permeates every atom of one's being ... Track #5 called "Cantiga" is about a miracle - how the Virgin Mary restored the sight of a goldsmith who became blind. The instruments are, cello, oud, and unusual ones, difficult to spell and pronounce, however the music is exotic and melodic, you begin chanting along with the singer ... Another very memorable track is #6, which is a 12th century Latin high-church hymn. Written by a French philosopher, the blend of voice and instrumentation is indescribable. However, there is an underlying sadness to the chanting vocals. If we are to believe the liner notes, some unspeakable tragedy occured to the author/composer of this hymn after he fell in love with the daughter of a nobleman. His unsanctioned love was punished by the father of the young lady. This CD is highly evocative and spiritual - it is unusual, exotic, and haunting. It is a rare modern interpretation of ancient songs and chants. The CD is valuable beyond description. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting album, November 30, 2006

By 

E. Anderson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portals of Grace (Audio CD)

I'm relatively new to Azam Ali. I first discovered her through Vas's recent album. Awhile ago I came across her debut solo album "Portals of Grace" at my local library and I immediately picked it out. I immediately fell in love with "Portals of Grace". The comparisons to Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance is obvious. Azam has a powerful voice that is quite similiar to Lisa's especially when she is simply expressing herself via vocalizations. The mix of mediavel and Portugese music is quite lovely. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Breton Medley" which reminds me quite a bit of Loreena McKennitt minus Loreena McKennitt, with its Celtic melodies. I get the goosebumps when I listen to "O Felix". Azam really gets to showcase her voice on this particular track. Her voice takes front and center while the instruments remain in the background. The only minor flaw I could find with Azam Ali's music is the eerily similiarities to Lisa Gerrard. Azam might want to try to create a more distinct sound of her own but overall I love her music. I'll take Azam Ali than any of pop artist out there today.