Hamdulillah: Fes Festival Of World Sacred Music, Vol. II
Recorded at the 1997 and 1998 Fes Festivals of World Sacred Music in Fes, Morrocco,Hamdulillah(an Arabic word meaning "Praise be to Allah") captures the unique ancient musics of Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, and Hindustanis. Performed by renowned musicians and vocalists, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa, this extraordinary two-CD set radiates spiritual praise and bristles with musical virtuosity. Javanese gamelan, Jewish Sephardic, a bit of Christian, and various branches of Sufi devotional music--even the obsuremuqamfrom Azerbaijan--are spotlighted.The velvety voice of Amina Alaoui singing Spanish-rooted Andalusian Gharnati music greets the listener before they are guided over the craggy peaks of vigorous ensemble pieces (Taqtouqa Al Jabalyya and Begonia Olavide) and into the valleys of meditative vocal offerings (Alin Qassimov and Albert Bouhadanna), before resting at the stream of lovely, tinkling gamelan music. Singer Monajat Yulcheva's track particularly stands out for her pure tones and vocal mastery: she raises song from the well of her throat and sends it soaring to the desert sky.  And if Yulcheva's expert fluttering doesn't do it for you, the 39-minute piece from the Whirling Dervishes of Konya will. Beginning with sparsely accompanied vocals, this 26-man ensemble of musicians, singers, and dancers take their time in building from slow, warm chant to a portentous, wavering march before finally sparking into a throbbing ecstastic fire.Hamdulillah(in addition to being the bargain-priced CD of the year) may be 1998's most unique recording yet.--Karen Karleski