Whirling

Omar Faruk Tekbilek

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Celestial Harmonies
• ASIN: B0000007XS
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,547 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Omar Faruk Tekbilek, born in Turkey, has lived and worked in the New York area since 1976. He is a virtuoso on several Middle Eastern instruments and is a capable performer on dozens more. Tekbilek became familiar to many listeners through his work on Brian Keane's soundtrack to Suleyman the Magnificent and subsequently through two additional collaborations, Fire Dance and Beyond the Sky, that combined the sounds of the Middle East with Western synthesizers and guitar. He has appeared at the Kool Jazz Festival and the New Sounds Live Concert Series, and has performed with Don Cherry, Ginger Baker, and many others.

Brian Keane is a talented composer and performer whose credits include many solo guitar and small ensemble recordings and a large number of soundtracks. He is also sought after as a producer, and has worked with Tibetan Bells II artists, Henry Wolff & Nancy Hennings.

Oud or lute virtuoso, Ara Dinkjian, and renowned percussionist, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, are both members of the popular band, Night Ark, which combines Western and Near Eastern musical forms. Hassan Isikkut is a composer and virtuoso on the Arabian kanun, or classical zither.

Product Description

The great musical traditions of the Middle East include serene, meditative courtly works; and the continually building, relentlessly propellant music that drives the famed Whirling Dervishes to spiritual ecstasy. These haunting, timeless sounds still echo through the years, and those echoes have now reached the United States. Whirling is Omar Faruk Tekbilek's first recording as a soloist. Here, Tekbilek presents a full range of traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern music that will appeal to Western listeners and fans of the early Celestial Harmonies recordings. Whirling's diverse music includes new compositions by Tekbilek and Brian Keane, and also features a beautiful new version of an early work by Deuter, the contemplative La Ilaha Il Allah. The recording begins with a traditional Sufi work associated with the Mevlevi or Whirling Dervishes.

Tekbilek, plays an impressive array of instruments on Whirling, including the instruments he is most often associated with, the ney flute and the lute known as baglama. Tekbilek's arsenal also includes lesser known instruments like the Arabian clarinet and Turkish oboe, as well as a battery of jar drums and frame drums, and the Western accordion. Guest musician, Brian Keane, contributes atmospheric washes of guitar and synthesizer, and a small but select ensemble of Middle Eastern musicians round out the sound with Arabian lutes, zither, and percussion.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific album, June 11, 1999

By A Customer

This was Tekbilek's first solo album following a series of collaborations with Brian Keane, but it's a winner. Although he pays extensive tribute to the Sufi musical tradition, he covers a wide range of Middle Eastern music, from "Gawazi" (which perfectly captures the sound of the Egyptian gypsy entertainers), to the more Central Asian-feeling "Caspian Winds." "Old Man's Dance" is spunky and dignified at the same time. And if you're a belly dancer, "Fly Away" is a great veils piece. I found the final track rather vague and airy (especially compared to some of his later work in the same vein, e.g., the conclusion of "Mystical Garden"), but it's pleasant to listen to. Tekbilek is a wonderful musician, as are all his collaborators, and they deliver masterful performances. Keane generally keeps his electronics in a tasteful supporting role rather than getting in the way of the traditional instruments. This is an album I'll definitely play often.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very touching Arabic and Qur'anic recitations, April 27, 1998

By A Customer

A modern enhancement of traditional and modern Arabic vocals with undulating synthesizer-rythms.

A masterpiece!

-Ahsen Abro.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prepare to start whirling!, April 15, 1999

By A Customer

If you can keep from jumping up and dancing, then you aren't listening to this CD! The music compels you to move, to spin and dance. Aside from one track, which was mediocre, each song is filled with emotion. Truly beautiful.