Hymns to tolerance in a world of brutality

Based on texts both praising God and the Prophet that become hymns to tolerance in a world of brutality as well as invocations of patron saints and healers called upon to give us their blessing, this recording is presented as a symbol and a synthesis between the most treasured past and the most daring creativity.
From the notes for Accords Croisés new album from Moroccan master gnawa Hamid El Kasri and Algerian jazz-world drummer Karim Ziad. Yobadi is a blend of traditional gnawa, reggae and jazz delivered by a band of invited musicians whose instruments range from the traditional gumbri to electric guitar and synthesizer. Check the video below to sample how this Sufi inspired music connects with the collective consciousness:



Yobadi follows in the gnawa diffusion tradition whose advocates number Jimi Hendrix, Randy Weston, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Sapho, Brian Jones, Norwegian hip-hop group Imhotep and the eponymous Gnawa Diffusion. As well as being an ace drummer Yobadi front man Karim Ziad is artistic director of the legendary gnawa festival in Essaouira in Morocco and his band's performance was one of the highlights of last year's festival, which is where the video and header photo were shot. Gnawa is a musical expression of Sufism and Essaouira is the pre-eminent zawiyya (place of meeting and learning) of the Sharifian sufi realm. Now read about Paul Bowles and Jimi Hendrix in Essaouira, about the gnawa spirit of the city, about gnawa and trance rituals, and about the Sufi soul, and then listen to podcasts of Sufi and Moroccan music.


Also on Facebook and Twitter. Yobadi was bought online. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk

Comments

Unknown said…
My comment doesn't pertain to the music discussed here, but rather to the "world of brutality" referenced in the headline. The very affecting story of Viktor Ullmann has been told here before, and I just thought OAOP readers might be interested in the review of a new production of the Emperor of Atlantis by the Boston Lyric Opera:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/arts/music/03emperor.html?ref=music

Apologies for being off-topic.

Dave
Pliable said…
Viktor Ullmann's Emperor of Atlantis -

http://www.overgrownpath.com/2006/01/holocaust-operas-rare-performance.html

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