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« RISSALA »
Pan-Arab partnership of focus and empathy.
The Palestinian Adel Salameh was amongst the first wave of virtuosic young oud players to take up the torch from Munir Bachir. He now established himself as one of the finest Arab performers working in Europe and his recent collaboration with the French/Algerian singer Naziha Azzouz have been especially fruitful, Salameh has drawn inpiration from the music of Mohamemed Abdel Wahab.
Played by a dazzlingly well-rehearsed group that includes violin, accordion and riq. Salameh, whose oud playing has never sounded more assured, writes sensitively for Azzouz’s voice, and his setting of words by some of the Arab world’s finest modern poets is such that you really don’t have to understand Arabic to appreciate their line and beauty.
The empathy that all the musicians on this recording share runs throughout the disc:.though they have always been talents to watch, Salameh and Azzouz’s musical partnership has really blossomed on Rissala.
Bill Badley (Songlines)
- Songlines
On ne présente plus Adel Salameh, brillant Oudiste Palestinien dont le geste inspiré et l’art de la composition ont façonné la renommée dans le monde Arabe. Sur cet album son compagnonnage avec la chanteuse Naziha Azzouz est parfait. L’élégance de cette dernière modulant avec chaleur les poèmes d’Ahmed Shawqi, considéré comme le prince des poètes Arabes, est patente. Accordéon, Riq, Violon participent à ce climat porteur de mélodies inspirées par l’Andalousie, la Turquie ou le Maghreb. Bonnes vibrations garanties.
Jean-Pierre GANDEBEUF (world folk)
- Dauphine Libere
OUD ET VOIX.Dépaysant. Nous sommes dans un petit village algérien, dans les collines, à écouter de la musique des racines. Adel le Palestinien et Naziha l’Algérienne revisitent la musique traditionnelle orientale, persane et turque. Tout en compositions. Grisant comme une fin de journée où l’on se détend, allongé, à regarder le ciel. D’un classicisme absolu et élégant. La voix et l’oud dansent sur ces danses qui sont plutôt des danses de l’esprit . Nostalgiques et nonchalantes, sensuelles et raffinées. Une douceur de culture sonore.
- Centre Presse
Discography
2011: Awda
(Enja Records_Germany)
2007: Rissala
(Enja Records_Germany)
2004: Hafla
(Enja Records_Germany)
2001: Kanza
(Enja Records_Germany)
1999: Nuzha
(Arion Records_France)
1996: Mediterraneo
(Riverboat Records _UK)
1995: Master of the Oud solo album
(Pastorale Records_Japan)
1995: Arab Path to India
(WOMAD select_Real World
Photos
Bio
Palestinian oud player and composer, Adel Salameh was born in Nablus, Palestine, in 1966. He started performing as a soloist while still living in the Arab World, but immigrated to Europe in 1990. He quickly established a reputation as one of the finest performers of the oud. He has performed in more than thirty countries including Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, and numerous countries in North Africa and Europe.
When performing as a soloist or with musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds, Adel believes that music is an excellent tool to build bridges between various cultures. In an effort to tackle these cultural barriers, he has worked with Turkish, Spanish, Indian, French, English, Israeli and jazz musicians.
Adel has worked with Womad/Real World for six years and performed at the most prestigious concert halls in Europe. These include Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre in London, Concertgebouw, Royal Tropical Institue, Paradiso in Amsterdam, Theatre d' Single (Antwerpen) Belguim, Institute of the Arab World in Paris, The Opera House and the Auditorium in Lyon. He has also performed at many festivals throughout the World. He has been described as the ambassador of Arab music in the West.
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