Trance of Seven Colors

Maleem Mahmoud Ghania, Pharoah Sanders | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 27, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Axiom
• ASIN: B000000GB2
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,539 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #13 in Music > World Music > Africa > Morocco

Track Listings

1. La Allah Dayim Moulenah

2. Bala Moussaka

3. Hamdouchi

4. Peace in Essaouira [For Sonny Sharrock]

5. Boulandi Samawi

6. Moussa Berkiyo/Koubaliy Beriah La'foh

7. Salat Anbi

8. Casa Casa Atougra

9. Mahraba

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Than Music, August 30, 2002

By 

Christopher Forbes "weirdears" (Brooklyn,, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trance of Seven Colors (Audio CD)

This is more than music...it's a ritual, a healing event. And this is some of the fiercest and most inspired blowing that Pharoah has done in a long time...reminicent of the old days actually.

This disc reproduces a meeting between Sanders and the master Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania. Gnawa people are Morrocan descendents of black African slaves, who have maintained a spiritual and musical tradition that is an amalgam of Sufi mysticism and elements of West African spirit religion. The music is haunting. It is a vocal music, driven by an instrument called the guimbri...a bass lute with gut stings and a head made out of camel hide. The musician plucks the strings and slaps the head to create a sound somewhere between a bass guitar and a drum. The rest of the ensemble consists of a responding chorus who accompany the music with hand claps and Krkaba, loudly resounding hand cymbals. The music is equal parts Sufi ceremonial music and West African drum ritual. On it's own the music is compelling.

But over top of this on many of the tracks on the album, Pharoah Sanders let's loose on some of the most firey, spirit filled improvisation that he's done since the late 60s. Not all of this is out...some is quite beautiful and very melodic. His ballad Peace in Essaouira is deeply moving. But even when he maintains tonal structures and specific pitches in his improvising, there is a spirit here which is bracing. And when he goes out....watch out! It's a true meeting of the two groups, not a gimmick.

This is an album that will give you energy and literally raise the spirits. I find that I can't keep still while listening to it. It is true trance music.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Journey for Your Soul, March 2, 2006

By 

Chick-M (Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trance of Seven Colors (Audio CD)

Truely a transcendental, wonderful, real emoting soundscape. I agree with all that was said by Chris, this is a great recording, a must have. Very spiritual with calming, even healing qualities. I have yet to find another recording that compares, the closest thing I uncovered was a Sub Rosa release Moroccan Trance Music SUFI (recommended!)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Meets Sufi, June 5, 2008

By 

Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trance of Seven Colors (Audio CD)

Although it might seem surprising, jazz and Arabic music have quite a bit in common. In particular, both emphasis a strong tradition of improvisation. Perhaps that is why this CD works so well... a collaboration between Pharaoh Sanders on saxophone and the intense driving beats and rhythms of Morocco's Gnawa Sufi brotherhood. As others have noted, the result is a strange spiritual experience, but it works. It takes a certain amount of talent and sensitivity to be able to pull something like this off, but the musicians managed to do so on this album, and quite successfully I might add. Listening to it, one can easily be overwhelmed by the sheer powerful of this music - it is beautiful, devotional and innovative all at the same time. It is especially interesting to see how both traditions manage to complement each other without either overwhelming the other. All in all, a very well done effort. Perhaps those interested in this CD will also do further exploration of Sufi music, of which there are no shortage of commercially available recordings on the market today.