Including the CDs “Allemni” by Jawhar (Tunesia), “Adana” by Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin (Turkey) and part of a CD: “World Music Divas” on which a varied number of international female singers take part.
Jawhar.
Born in Tunis, writer, composer, actor, and playwright Jawhar shares his passions between Belgium and Tunesia. ‘Qibla Wa Qobla’ (the kiss and the direction to face during prayer) is his second album which was recently awarded the prestigious Belgian music prize ‘Les Octaves de la Musique’. Jawhar’s work is a combination of western pop-folk and lyrics sung in Arabic and inspired by the popular poetry of ‘Chaabi’ and Tunesian ‘mezoued’.
CD. ‘Qibla Wa Qobla’ by Jawhar. Label: Naff-Recordz (2015). Video
Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin.
Two musicians honour the memorial of the Armenian genocide, which took place over 100 years ago, in 1909, in the city of Adana, Turkey. You hear the Turkish Emre Gültekin on the ‘saz’, a long-necked lute, and the Armenian Vardan Harvanissian on the ‘duduk’, a reed wind instrument. The men are old friends but this is the first time they released a CD together. The performance is beautiful, their voices sound contemplative and nostalgic. The title song ‘Adana’ is a gloomy, painful lamentation about the devastate city of Adana.
CD. ‘Adana’ by Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin. Label: Muziekpublique.be (2015), code: 06. Video
World Music Divas.
Exotica is a compilation with international female singers; they render songs from the Celtic, African, Chinese, and Spanish tradition. This world music compilation will certainly also appeal to the ‘new age’ listeners among you.
CD. Exotica, World Music Divas.
Label: RCA Victor (1998),
code: 09026.68988.2.
