 Hamza El-Din A reissue of Hamza El-Din's 1971 release Escalay, this album is part of the Nonesuch Explorer series, which has been around for almost thirty years and continues to deliver world music in a non-pandering way. "Escalay" tells the musical story of a young boy working the village irrigation wheel, keeping the wheel turning by keeping the oxen reined to it in motion. And while I see that this may not be universally applicable (I mean, I may have worked in various capacities monitoring oxen here and there, but not everyone has), the music is undeniable. This piece has been performed by Kronos Quartet, one of the first "serious" music groups to acknowledge Hamza's stature as one of the great 20th century composers. The original version is completely mesmerizing. The sound doesn't really begin or end, but hovers in the air like the haze you see on the open road on a hot day. I only say this because I soon plan to take to the open road in a restored 1948 Harley Davidson motorcycle originally owned by Dabney Coleman, so obviously this is on my mind. Hamza El-Din plays the oud, a stringed instrument which produces a sound somewhere between a lute and a sitar. Percussion and vocals flesh out the spare arrangements. There is really no music quite like it, drawing as it does on styles from Nubian folk music and classical Arabic music. The oud can be soothing while being strummed frenetically; it is a truly trance- inducing instrument. I would place this music among the very most important, interesting, and satisfying of all musics. The many layers continue to reveal themselves after many repeated listens. Do not hesitate to get this album; if you want, I can give you a ride on my motorcycle, which has recently been restored.
Review by Barnacle William |