Music of Makran: Traditional Fusion From Coastal Balochistan

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: February 13, 2001
• Type: Collection (various artists), Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: World

Review

The Baloch ethnic group stretches across modern national boundaries. Their traditional homeland, Balochistan, extends throughout Pakistan's Balochistan province, Iran's Sistan and Balochistan provinces, and nearby portions of Afghanistan. Balochs also reside in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. Baloch music can be roughly divided in terms of three geographical regions: eastern Balochistan, central and northern Balochistan, and the coast of Balochistan. On this release, Music of Makran: Traditional Fusion From Coastal Balochistan, the tracks are drawn from Makran, a dry and hilly tract of coastal Balochistan that stretches between the Persian Gulf and India along the Arabian Sea. The CD's 13 tracks encompass a diverse mix of sounds. The end-blown donail double flute, vertically played suroz fiddle, long-necked damburag lute, and a host of other instruments transmit trance-inducing sounds and soothing melodies in a variety of musical forms. These include instrumental shepherd paeans, ceremonial recitations, love songs, wedding and circumcision music, and mythological tunes. Liner notes informed by Baloch music expert Dr. Sabir Badalkhan give the CD's delightful tracks an intellectual context to boot. ~ John Vallier, Rovi

Previous:	Music of Magical Madagascar (2004 Album by Various Artists)
Next:	Music of Mali [Batross] (2002 Album by Various Artists)