PAUL WINTER & THE EARTH BAND - Journey with the Sun (2000) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For 20 years, new age wind player Paul Winter has headlined world-class audiovisual musical extravaganzas celebrating the summer and winter solstices at New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Most of the contemplative nature of this worldbeat meets new age recording reflects the ambience of the early morning summer celebration, while two songs -- the intensely percussive, Middle Eastern-flavored "Caravan at Dawn" and the mystical "Yabu" -- come from the 1999 winter show that featured Mickey Hart playing RAMU, or Random Access Music Universe (i.e., an incredible array of electronic sounds). The unique spiritual power of the album derives from vocalist Arto Tuncboyacian, an Armenian whose African-sounding guttural vocals utter phrases in "vocables" from his own personal dialect; this is exotic scat singing at its most creative! The mystical "Broken Arm" shows the more heartfelt side of his vocals, and the interesting mood swings continue throughout. The joyous jig-like "Mountain Wedding" features the Uilleann pipes of Davy Spillane, and these pipes are used to more haunting effect on "Pas de Deux." "Singing to the Mountain" is a wistful, folksy tribute to Tuncboyacian's late brother, who was killed in a plane crash in Turkey. by Jonathan Widran  
Tracklist :
1     Caravan at Dawn 6:26
Mickey Hart / Arto Tuncboyaciyan / Paul Winter
2     First Oasis 4:11
Eugene Friesen / Paul Halley / Davy Spillane / Arto Tuncboyaciyan / Paul Winter
3     Broken Arm 6:09
Arto Tuncboyaciyan
4     Mountain Wedding 4:43
Paul Winter
5     Cave of the Winds 5:49
Paul Winter
6     Pas de Deux 2:46
Eugene Friesen / Davy Spillane
7     Singing To The Mountain 4:48
Arto Tuncboyaciyan
8     Middle Oasis 5:26
Eugene Friesen / Paul Halley / Davy Spillane / Arto Tuncboyaciyan / Paul Winter
9     Yabu 5:01
Mickey Hart / Paul Winter
10     Green Grass, It Grows Bonny 5:03
Traditional
11     Last Oasis 4:02
Davy Spillane / Arto Tuncboyaciyan / Paul Winter
12     Land Of The Pipers 5:21
Traditional
13     Oror Bubrik 6:12
Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Credits :
Bass – Eliot Wadopian (faixas: 4, 12)
Cello – Eugene Friesen (faixas: 2 to 4, 6 to 9, 12, 13)
Electronic Drums [Ramu] – Mickey Hart (faixas: 1, 9)
Guitar – Zan McLeod (faixas: 4, 12)
Keyboards – Jim Beard (faixas: 12), Jordan Rudess (faixas: 1, 4, 9), Paul Halley (faixas: 2, 3, 7, 13)
Low Whistle – Davy Spillane (faixas: 2, 3, 7)
Organ [Pipe Organ] – Dorothy Papadakos (faixas: 12), Paul Halley (faixas: 5, 8)
Panpipes [Panflute] – Damian Draghici (faixas: 3, 4)
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan (faixas: 1, 4, 9, 12)
Performer [Sazabo] – Arto Tuncboyaciyan (faixas: 3, 7, 13)
Piano – Paul Halley (faixas: 4, 10)
Soprano Saxophone – Paul Winter (faixas: 1 to 3, 5, 8, 9, 11 to 13)
Uilleann Pipes – Davy Spillane (faixas: 2, 4, 6, 8, 11), Jerry O'Sullivan (faixas: 12)
Vocals – Arto Tuncboyaciyan (faixas: 1 to 3, 7, 8, 11, 13), Niamh Parsons (faixas: 10, 13)
Written-By – Arto Tuncboyaciyan (faixas: 1 to 3, 7, 8, 11, 13), Davy Spillane (faixas: 2, 6, 8, 11), Eugene Friesen (faixas: 2, 6, 8, 11), Jordan Rudess (faixas: 1), Mickey Hart (faixas: 1, 9), Paul Halley (faixas: 2, 8), Paul Winter (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11)
Zurna – Vardan Grigoryan (faixas: 1) 

MICHAEL ASKILL & OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK - Fata Morgana (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist:
1 - Desert Wind    1:39
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill
2 - Aman 3:43
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ghassan Barakat, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
3 - Distant Call And March Of The Janissaries 5:27
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos    
4 - Cool Water 4:25
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
5 - The Goldsmiths 3:14
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
6 - Ocean Dream 1 2:45
Michael Askill, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
7 - Sufi House 3:44
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ghassan Barakat, Ian Cleworth
8 - Boiling Water 4:17
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ghassan Barakat, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
9 - Fata Morgana 2:22
Michael Askill, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
10 - Ba-la-ma 4:06
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill
11 - Little Janissary March 2:55
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill
12 - Ocean Dream 2 2:11
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill
13 - Under Desert Stars 5:29
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
14 - From Emptiness 12:40
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill, Ghassan Barakat, Ian Cleworth, Rebecca Lagos
15 - Desert Winds 1:39
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Michael Askill
Credits :
Michael Askill - Arranger, Bells, Composer, Crotale, Cymbals, Djembe, Drums, Gong, Handclapping, Percussion, Producer, Temple Bowls, Thai Gong, Wah Wah Guitar
Ghassan Barakat - Darbouka, Drums
Ian Cleworth - Bells, Conch, Crotale, Cymbals, Drums, Drums (Bass), Glockenspiel, Gong, Marimba, Percussion, Thai Gong, Water Gong
Rebecca Lagos - Angklung, Bells, Darbouka, Djembe, Glockenspiel, Gong, Handclapping, Thai Gong, Triangle
Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Arranger, Baglama, Composer, Darbouka, Handclapping, Kaval, Kavala, Ney, Oud, Percussion, Vocals, Voices, Zurna

OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK - Whirling (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Whirling celebrates the melodies and rhythms of the Middle East. Famed instrumentalist Omar Faruk Tekbilek plays an impressive array of instruments, including the two he is most famous for: the ney flute and the lute-like baglama. He is joined by Brian Keane, who contributes splendid background on guitar and synthesizer, and Ara Dinkjian and Arto Tuncboyaciyan on a variety of Middle Eastern instruments. Hassan Isikkut provides vocals. Faruk, a well-known musician and composer in Turkey, is also an accomplished jazz musician, and this aspect of his musical abilities adds a subtle flavor to the pieces. AllMusic
Tracklist:
1    Whirling Dervish    10:40
2    Gawazi    6:12
3    Love Respect Truth    7:09
4    Old Man's Dance    4:36
5    Long Wait    6:00
6    Moments Of Doubt    5:19
7    Caspian Winds    4:40
8    Fly Away    4:42
9    La Ilaha Il Allah    5:25
10    Sultan Of The Hearts    7:22
Credits:
Bendir, Cymbal, Percussion, Percussion [Bottle], Vocals – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Featuring – Ara Dinkjian, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Brian Keane, Hassan Işikkut
Guitar, Synthesizer, Bass, Wind Chimes – Brian Keane
Kanun – Hassan Işikkut
Ney, Baglama, Zurna, Reeds [Mijwiz], Performer [Jura], Goblet Drum [Darbuka], Bendir, Tambourine, Accordion, Vocals – Omar Faruk Tekbilek
Oud, Cümbüş [Sazbush], Cümbüş, Bass – Ara Dinkjian
Producer – Brian Keane

 

RICHARD A. HAGOPIAN & OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK - Gypsy Fire (1994) Mp3

For those uninitiated in the music that accompanies the belly dance, or those who think that belly dancing music was issued exclusively on those cheesy 1960s long-players, go on to the next review unless you are willing to have your cultural misperceptions challenged. The title of this recording by the renowned oud wizard Richard Hagopian -- and his ensemble that includes the great zuna and ney player Omar Faruk Tekbilek and saxophonist Yuri Yukanov, among others -- says it all. Belly dancing music is the jazz of the East. This is music that relies on shifting, careening rhythms; complex melodic and modal figures; and plenty of improvisation to get both the stories in these songs across and the dancers where they need to be in order to reveal the narrative to an audience of one or hundreds. Unlike the early American jazzmen who had no choice but to play their music in whorehouses, these musicians have a time-honored tradition to present their artistry within. The music played here by Hagopian and company reflects not only history, but also innovation -- nothing here reeks of being worn or coming from antiquity. Each tune, whether an original or a folk tune, is approached as a unique entity, as a framework for musical and cultural re-visioning. And if one considers it, this music as it is, forged from Midddle Eastern, European, and Asian cultures, is perhaps the most progressive of all. For ten tracks, there is no let-up in the deeply satisfying, sensual pleasure of the atmospherics and textural wonders Mr. Hagopian and his crew weave, nor is there a lack of musical or aesthetic imagination. Gypsy Fire is pure, sophisticated pleasure. (This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1    Rompi Rompi    4:06
2    Nihavent    4:46
3    Istemen Babacim    4:06
4    Kadife    5:50
5    Muhabbet    8:12
6    Minoush    3:34
7    Fincan    4:32
8    Konyali    2:31
9    Beledy    3:03
10    Siseler    4:59
Credits:
Ara Dinkjian - Guitar
Harold G. Hagopian - Producer, Violin
Richard Hagopian - Ud, Vocals
Hassan Isikkut - Kanun
Chris Marashlian - Bass
Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Composer, Ney, Producer, Zurna, etc ...
Arto Tuncboyaciyan - Percussion
Yuri Yunakov - Saxophone
Notas
'The Most Exciting Belly Dance Music Of The Century'

 

OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK - Mystical Garden (1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist:
1    Other Side Of The River    8:53
2    Magic Of The Evening    6:47
3    Laz    3:55
4    Shashkin    6:48
5    Hasret    8:53
6    Egyptian Dance    5:06
7    Three Last Words    8:33
8    Mystical Garden    7:07
9    Hu Allah    9:59
Credits:
Arranged By – Ara Dinkjian (tracks: 3), Brian Keane (tracks: 3), Omar Faruk Tekbilek (tracks: 4)
Composed By – Ara Dinkjian (tracks: 7), Arto Tuncboyaciyan (tracks: 1), Brian Keane (tracks: 2), Omar Faruk Tekbilek (tracks: 5, 6, 8, 9), Traditional (tracks: 3, 4)
Flugelhorn – Dan Pickering (tracks: 1)
Frame Drum, Shaker, Bells, Bendir, Finger Cymbals [Zil], Triangle, Guiro, Davul, Performer [Water Bowl] – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Guest [Natural Sounds Provided By] – Ira Spiegel
Guitar, Synthesizer, Arranged By [Arrangements], Bass, Percussion, Cymbal, Drums, Producer – Brian Keane
Kanun, Violin – Hassan Iṣikkut
Ney, Kaval [Kavala], Zurna, Baglama, Drum [Jura], Oud, Goblet Drum [Darbuka], Bendir, Tambourine, Davul, Finger Cymbals, Synthesizer, Vocals – Omar Faruk Tekbilek
Oud, Cümbüş – Ara Dinkjian (tracks: 3, 5, 7)
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan (tracks: 2)
Vocals – Arto Tuncboyaciyan (tracks: 1, 3, 7)
Notas
The cover illustration is "Autumn Landscape With Mountains And Trees" circa 1370, and attributed to kar-i mani. It is found today in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul.

OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK - One Truth (1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Omar Faruk Tekbilek's One Truth continues his exploration of the mystical sounds of Sufism, blending Middle Eastern instruments like the ney flute and modern electronic textures into intense, intricate works. The album's songs of devotion showcase Tekbilek's technical skill as well as his intuitive understanding of this passionate and spiritual music. by Heather Phares
Tracklist:
1    Red Skies    6:42
2    I Love You    8:11
3    Wildflower    5:50
4    Manhem    5:52
5    Tahir Ranks    5:19
6    Roman    4:58
7    One Truth    6:59
8    Ara'ya    5:10
9    Sufi    9:31
10    Istanbul    6:30
Credits:
Arranged By – Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Yuval Ron
Backing Vocals – Azam Ali, Deniz Tekbilek, Pinar Tekbilek
Baglama, Bells, Bendir, Bongos, Goblet Drum [Darbuka], Daf, Djembe, Strings [Jura], Kaval, Keyboards, Ney, Oud, Cymbal [Rama], Shaker, Slit Drum, Snare, Tambourine, Finger Cymbals [Zils], Zurna, Voice – Omar Faruk Tekbilek
Bendir, Bells, Shaker, Finger Cymbals, Percussion [Bottles] – Dror Sini
Cello – Kenan Torfeh
Drum – Tal Bergman
Electric Guitar – Mike Fonte
Flamenco Guitar – Adam Del Monte
Producer, Keyboards, Classical Guitar, Piano – Yuval Ron
Shaker, Overtone Voice – Randy Crafton
Sintir [Bass], Guitar [12-String] – Chris Cunningham
Toy Piano – Ian Nickus
Tracking By – Randy Crafton
Violin – Roberto Cani
Violin, Kanun – Hasan Isikkut 

OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK with STEVE SHERAN - Alif : Love Supreme (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The latest release from Turkish-Egyptian multi-instrumentalist Omar Faruk Tekbilek is all about love, and its sense of romance spills across all 12 tracks, from the lush "Gardener" to the heavy melodicism of "Lachin." The songs themselves are all traditional, but Tekbilek, a master of the flute known as the ney and many other instruments, brings a timeless sensibility to the music. While there's a definite Middle Eastern underpinning to everything, in part thanks to percussionist extraordinaire Steve Shehan, whose remarkable senses offer the muscle behind the music, the melodies are sometimes sweetened a little for Western consumption, as on "Forbidden Love," where the voices rest on clouds of synthesizer, and at times the feel is pan-Mediterranean, bringing in strains of Greek and Italian feel to the mix. There's nothing wrong with that at all, and its heart's in the right place. The love songs aren't all romance -- they're an exploration of the different forms of love, be it a love of life, or divine love (as exemplified by the epic title track, showing Tekbilek's Sufi upbringing), and Tekbilek brings in some excellent collaborators, both vocal and instrumental, including the flamenco guitar of José Rodrigues Muñoz, who brings in an influence that originated in North Africa before landing in Spain. The end result of all this is an album of beautiful songs, like the classic "Dark Eyes," performed with grace and sensitivity, and sometimes a sense of real adventure. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1    Dulger    5:54
2    Gardener    5:05
3    Laundry Girl    5:12
4    Dark Eyes 4:45
Composed By – Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Steve Shehan
5    Shinanay    5:50
6    Don't Cry My Love    4:54
7    Alif    10:01
8    Dadash    5:03
9    Take A Flight 5:16
Composed By – Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Steve Shehan
10    Ya Bouy 5:02
Composed By – Farid Al Atrash
11    Lachin    6:27
12    Forbidden Love 5:51
Composed By, Lyrics By – Ishay Amir
Lyrics By [Arabic Translation] – Yitshak Avi-Ezer
Vocals – Zehava Ben
Credits:
Arranged By – Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Steve Shehan
Producer, Orchestrated, Mixed By – Steve Shehan
Vocals,    Arranger, Baglama, Bendir, Composer, Darbouka, Def, Jura, Kaval, Kavala, Ney, Oud, Zurna – Omar Faruk Tekbilek
Written By – Traditional (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 11)