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"Whirling"
After
the success of "Beyond The Sky"
and Brian Keane and Faruk Tekbilek's tour of the Middle East,
which included sold out performances at the Acropolis, among other
places, Brian became concerned that he was beginning to be known
as "the Salman Rushdie of the music business", and with so many
other endeavors in different styles going on, Brian wanted Faruk
to receive the attention for the Middle Eastern collaborations.
Wanting to continue his musical relationship with Faruk Tekbilek,
but step back from the limelight, Brian suggested to Celestial
Harmonies that they release their future recordings together under
Faruk's name alone. Meeting resistance at first, due to the success
of their past albums, eventually Celestial acquiesced, and Faruk's
career as a solo artist began with "Whirling". Standouts
on this CD include Brian and Faruk's mystical adaptation of a
traditional Sufi motif "Whirling Dervish", the primative
"Gawazi", and Ara Dinkjian's unusual piece "Old
Man's Dance".
Track
List:
1.
Whirling Dervish
2. Gawazi
3. Love Respect Truth
4. Old Man's Dance
5. Long Wait
6. Moment of Doubt
7. Caspian Winds
8. Fly Away
9. La Illaha Il Allah
10. Sultan of the Hearts
Release
Date: September 13, 1994
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Reviews:
Tower Pulse: "Some of the finest recordings released
over the last year feature ethnic musicians who gracefully weave
their traditions into late 20th century scenarios. Omar Faruk
Tekbilek is a master of the Middle Eastern flute called the ney.
He also excels on various percussion, reed, and stringed instruments
from the region. His new Celestial Harmonies release, 'Whirling'
(four stars), is his debut as a solo artist, but many people are
already familiar with Tekbilek's work through his stunning work
on Brian Keane's film score 'Suleyman The
Magnificent'. Tekbilek gets top billing on this new disc,
but he's still working with Keane, who plays guitars, synthesizers
and bass in addition to producing music. As a result, 'Whirling'
is in many ways a continuation of their previous work. However,
it is arguably their best offering to date. Whether he's rearranging
a traditional Sufi motif or performing an original tune, Tekbilek's
sound is both thoughtful and erotic as it combines the melismatic,
trance-inducing power of Middle Eastern styles with subtle enhancements
that give the project a Western accessibility and polish without
taking away from the profound sense of mystery his musical heritage
evokes." -- Linda Kohanov
Amazon.com: 
"This
was Tekbilek's first solo album following a series of collaborations
with Brian Keane, but it's a winner. Although he pays extensive
tribute to the Sufi musical tradition, he covers a wide range
of Middle Eastern music, from 'Gawazi' (which perfectly captures
the sound of the Egyptian gypsy entertainers), to the more Central
Asian-feeling 'Caspian Winds'. 'Old Man's Dance' is spunky and
dignified at the same time. And if you're a belly dancer, 'Fly
Away' is a great veils piece. I found the final track rather vague
and airy (especially compared to some of his later work in the
same vein, e.g., the conclusion of 'Mystical Garden'), but it's
pleasant to listen to. Tekbilek is a wonderful musician, as are
all his collaborators, and they deliver masterful performances.
Keane generally keeps his electronics in a tasteful supporting
role rather than getting in the way of the traditional instruments.
This is an album I'll definitely play often."
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