Syrie: Musique des Derviches Tourneurs de Damas (Whirling Dervishes of Damascus)

• Artist: Hamza Shakkur & the Al-Kindi Ensemble
• Rating:
• Release Date: January 24, 1995
• Total Time: 61:23
• Type: Instrumental
• Genre: New Age

Review

Shaykh Shakkur's voice is something to be marveled at and luxuriated in. At the same time, his musical vision and presentation of the spiritual music of the Great Mosque of the Umayyads in Damascus, Syria, where he is the munshid (hymnodist), is rather austere and Spartan. This disc is one of several of his collaborations with the Ensemble Al-Kindi, also known for their hard-line purity of approach, and while the effect of this disc is not as profound as the two-disc set The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus, it is still a work of deep spiritual impact and intent. This, as the title suggests, is the music that accompanies the Mawlawiya ritual, the Syrian version of the whirling dervishes, and it ranges from chanting of the Koran to classical instrumental preludes and taqsims (solo instrumental improvisations). The ensemble, in addition to Shakkur, consists of qanun (Arabic zither), nay (reed flute), oud (short-necked lute), hand drums, and three choristers. The general pattern is to work from moments of contemplation to moments of ecstasy and then to start over again, forming a cycle both for the dervishes and the musicians. The musical support is impeccable, without sacrificing meaning for precision, and Shakkur's singing is transporting. Naturally, this music can be enjoyed on its own merits, too, without worrying about the Sufi ritual it accompanies, but it is intense music, not necessarily fit for background listening. It is too forceful to be ignored, but paying rapt attention will be rewarded. ~ Tom Chandler, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Tartîl du Coran, Les Factions, Xxxiii, 38-39, Et le Prologue I, 1-7		Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi	(3:06)
Nawba de la Grande Mosquée des Omeyyades: Kalimat Al-Tawhîd, ...		Hamza Shakkur	(5:50)
Muwashshah: Mawlâya Sallî Wa-Sallim Dâ'iman Abadan		Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi	(3:13)
Taqsîm de Nây		Hamza Shakkur	(3:44)
Bashraf		Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi	(5:10)
Muwashshah: Yâ 'Âshiqa I-Mustafä		Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi	(3:35)
Mawlid (Extraits): Al-Hamdu Li-L-Lâhi L-Ladhî Anâra ...		Hamza Shakkur	(6:10)
Muwashshah" Man Yalumnî Fî Ghahâmî		Hamza Shakkur	(2:39)
Muqaddima et Taqsîm de Qânûn		Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi	(4:05)
Qasîda: Adunu S-Salâta 'Alä L-Habîb		Hamza Shakkur	(6:47)
Suite de Muwashshah-S et de Qadd-S: Yâ Ajmala L-Anbiyâ/Hâti Yâ Huwayda		Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi	(17:00)

Credits

Julien Weiss (Arranger), Hamza Shakkur (Main Performer), Hamza Shakkur et Ensemble Al-Kindi (Main Performer), Mary Pardoe (Translation), Laurent Aubert (Director), Bernard Moussali (Liner Notes), Shaykh Hamza Shakkur (Photography), Alex Buess (Digital Mastering), Alex Buess (Mastering), Johnathan Watts (Photography)