Omar Souleyman - Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts

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5...according to our Business Lady on Thu 01 Sep, 2011.

So, Omar Souleyman is a star now! He was the darling of this years festival circuit making appearances and impressing crowds all over the world. This comes as no surprise considering the fantastic work of Sublime Frequencies in bringing this man's talents to the attention of the western world. 'Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts' collects recordings from the now infamous Omar Souleyman/Group Doueh summer 2009 tour and subsequent dates in the UK in 2010. I caught him at the Brudenell Social Club (from which a rendition of 'Baghdad Araby' is included here) and was absolutely blown away by the exceptional skill of Souleyman's long-time collaborators Rizan Sa'id (keyboards) and electric saz player Ali Shaker. Omar Souleyman may be an impressive presence and possess one of the most unique voices in the history of music but it's the mad skills of Sa'id and Shaker that really took me by surprise. These guys are relentless, performing non-stop musical gymnastics throughout the set. I've been after an electric saz ever since. The combination of Sai'd's choice of keyboard (Korg PA200!, never seen anyone playing that beast) sounds and samples coupled with the super speedy fingers of Mr. Shaker and you've got yourself one hell of a group. Omar himself is on classic form throughout giving the music an emotional clarity whilst also acting as a master crowd motivator. An amazing document of a fantastic tour. This is a worthy collection not only for it's superior fidelity (easily the liveliest and loudest of his Sublime Frequencies releases) but for its outstanding performances.

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Omar Souleyman's fourth record for Sublime Frequencies. • Amazing live document from the master of Syrian dabke and regional Iraqi, Kurdish, and Turkish styles. • The BIGGEST sounding Omar Souleyman record yet! • Compiled and recorded by Mark Gergis. • "Jazeera Nights: Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria is probably the most dynamic collection of Omar Souleyman's work that Sublime Frequencies has yet released." --Pitchfork (7.8) • "...you can still sense in Jazeera Nights a gangsta-ass boldness and flamboyant machismo (but leavened with an all-important vulnerability) that miraculously don't come off as posturing, but rather as the natural expression of supremely confident master musicians blessed with outsized personalities and irrepressible energy." --The Stranger • "The combination of all these elements makes Omar Souleyman a special artist. His humble beginnings, his undeniable alien cool, and the utter danceability of the dabke sound make for a compelling listen." -BBC Omar Souleyman is a folk-pop singer from rural northeastern Syria. Like many Syrian musicians, he made his name as a singer for wedding parties in the region, with hundreds of cassettes and CDs documenting his performances distributed throughout the country. These, along with several studio albums, earned him legendary status in the Syrian dabke scene throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. After his 2005 breakthrough folk-hit "Khataba," Omar gained wider recognition throughout the Arab world. After collecting his tapes for a decade, Sublime Frequencies released the first compilation of Omar Souleyman tracks to be distributed in the West. The success of Highway To Hassake (SF 031CD, 2007), and the enthusiastic online reaction to the promotional clip for his track "Leh Jani," led to Omar being invited to tour the UK and Europe in the summer of 2009. It would be his first time performing or travelling outside of the Arab world. He and his group, comprised of two longtime collaborators -- Rizan Sa'id on keyboards, and electric saz player Ali Shaker -- set off on a six-week Sublime Frequencies tour with label-mates Group Doueh. By the end of 2009, Omar had proven that his unique and charismatic delivery of Syrian electrified folkloric dabke, Iraqi choubi and Arabic shaabi had the ability to appeal to the most diverse of Western audiences. His success has continued, with further tours throughout Europe, America and Australia drawing rave reviews and leaving a trail of fervor across the globe. The rise of Omar's success has transcended the wedding halls and cassette stalls of Syria and slipped into Western popular consciousness. Despite there being no shortage of musical talent in Syria, dabke and otherwise, Omar Souleyman is the first Syrian musical export to have won the hearts of Westerners and Arabs alike on this scale. His trademark checkered khaffya, sunglasses and elegant jalaba are not uncommon male attire in the Arab world, but for years in the West, it is that exact image which has been excessively demonized. Perhaps one of the most striking achievements of Omar's rise has been watching that iconic image transformed from comic book villainy to something positively regal. The recordings on Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts, Omar Souleyman's fourth release on Sublime Frequencies, represent an hour of the best moments from the Western tours between 2009 and 2011, captured in striking fidelity and intensity. Fans will recognize familiar songs, as well as previously-unreleased material presented here for the first time, in what is the biggest sounding Omar record yet. Compiled and recorded by Mark Gergis.

Tracklisting:

1. Mawal Hejaz (Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S. 2010)
2. Gazula/Shift Al Mani (I Saw Her) (Tufnell Park Dome, London, UK 2009)
3. Lansob Sherek (I Will Make A Trap) (Sónar festival, Barcelona, Spain 2009)
4. Mendel (I Don't Know) (Kortijk Conge Festival, Kortrijk, Belgium 2010)
5. Baghdad Araby (Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK 2010)
6. Haram (Forbidden - I Signal, You Deny) (Kortijk Conge Festival, Kortrijk, Belgium 2010)
7. Hedi Hedi (Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, Australia 2011)
8. Wakhali (Atlas (Voxhall), Aarhus, Denmark 2010)
9. Kaset Hanzel (Drinking From The Glass Of Bitterness) (Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany 2009)

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