Customer Reviews

Promises of the Storm

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What makes this CD amazing is the combination of Khalife's haunting vocals and mesmerizing instrumentals with really stirring lyrics from poet Mahmud Darwish. No where in the write-up does it seem to mention Darwish, but the lyrics from at least three of the songs are based on his renowned poetry.

Perhaps nobody can understand the suffering behind songs like "Mother" and "Rita" except for the people Marcel is refering to. The strength behind Marcel's strings can only be understood by those who were actually victims of political violence. Perhaps the rest can only afford to love the "Lebanese" music and say that its a "lovely musical journey." This is the fine line between 'music we feel' and 'music we understand.'

The case maybe that few have heard the original songs in this album. This was the first Khalife album. The cassette tape artwork shows Khalife on a stage overexposed in a red color that resembles a storm. The year was 1976. I consider myself lucky to own the original tape. The original arrangement is this: Oud and Marcel's vocals. That was it! And it quite fit the spirit of those days. Nostalgic, sad, rebellious,and defiant - it came to symbolize the dark nights and the will to survive and shed 'the old leaves on the branches' of the trees. It was not a joyous music. And certainly not the dancing music. It was a brooding masterpiece of the spirit in a stage of emergence. So, for Khalife to allow himself to re-arrange this album while claiming to 'keep to the spirit of the original,' and add instruments that should NEVER EVER have been considered is not only a betrayal to the spirit of the collection, it is an attempt to rewrite history. Those who listen to this so-called re-arrangement should better locate the original. And one request to Nagam, and Khalife: Release this album again as it was created in its original form. Some works were not meant to be re-arranged in such a comical way. Some works were meant to stand witness to a time, and to play with this testimony is akin to betrayal. I gave one star. It deserves a big ZILCH the size of my disappointment in what Marcel had done.

The way these albums were released is very confusing. There are two available here on Amazon, one released in 1983 which, I believe, is the original with just Marcel Khalife and his Oud. It is the one shown with kids on the cover making peace signs. The other, released in 1999 is a rearrangement of the songs with an orchestra and has "Birds of Galilee" instead of "Jaffra." For some reason, Amazon puts the comments about one album or the other onto the pages of both albums. Very confusing. The 1983 album is amazing. 5 stars for that one.

This is sad but beautiful music, and I'll enjoy listening to it many more times. (I bought the 1999 version; I am also interested in hearing the one from 1983 after reading Lunar07 and others' comments that this release is a rearrangement of the original. It IS confusing that Amazon mixes the reviews for these two items.)

I was really pleased to see that the insert came with the lyrics in English, French and Arabic. One of the many reasons I enjoy getting CD's instead of just downloading the music digitally.

Marcel kheleefe(i hope you can read my message someday-it's 4 U)you are one of the very few in the arab world that could arise the national sense in my spirit, when i listen to your oud and your 'annat' talking to your nation coming from the "black land", i feel that i'm in the upper heaven. "wo'odon mina el-a'sefa",(promises of the storm) is one of the first cds that i listened to and wasn't in a party it was also played by other instrumentals but of the oud, at first i was surprised, but later i realised that singing national songs without the nation never low down the value of the songs, even maybe the opposite is the true, 'coz when you listen to a pure voice of your favorite singer talking to your spirit with his instrumentals, then you can realy enjoy the music. "A'safeerol Jalil" and "Jawazo Essafar" are two great songs in their composition and beats.

This is very beautiful music and with the soft voice of Marcel Khalifa I can recommend this CD to everyone who loves oriental music.

This Lebanese melody is a perfect cure against stress. Take to a musical trip to Lebanon...