Highlighting The Similarities

This disk represents the genre of world music in the form that appeals most to me. It is called Under The Olive Tree : Sacred Music Of The Middle East by the Yuval Ron Ensemble featuring Najwa Gibran. There are descriptions od each track and the breadth of vision is best illustrated by quoting some of these; a Jewish Moroccan song, a prayer for the artisans by the Egyptian composer Darwish, three Jewish prayers from Spain, Bosnia and Israel in a medley with a Sufi song from Turkey, a Yemenite Jewish prayer, an Iraqi love song, a lament from the late 5th century dedicated to the Armenian hero Vartan, a folk dance melody from the people of Laz in Turkey, a folk song from the gypsies of the Nile. The playing and singing are extremely soulful and reach to the very depths of this music, with a precussive swing that sounds utterly contemporary and at the same time timeless, with no resort to electronics beyond that of strategically placed microphones. Yuval Ron is the ensemble leader and plays both oud and saz. Najwa Gibron is one of the two featured vocalists and the sound is soulful but a little smoother than some more folk oriented performers from the region. Apart from much percussion and some keyboard fills, the other musical inspiration beyond that of Yuval Ron is supplied by Norik Manoukian on duduk, shvi ( flute ) and clarinet. The booklet notes "the Yuval Ron Ensemble is dedicated to fostering an understanding of Middle Eastern cultures and religions". Amen to that. This disk highlights similarities rather than emphasising differences.