# Middle Eastern, Arabic, Turkish classical or folk music recommendations please



## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

As the title says can anyone recommend some interesting albums of Middle Eastern, Arabic, Turkish classical or folk music, or anything similar sounding but form other areas. Vocal or instrumental. I am not looking for pop or fusion recordings, just the classic stuff please

Cheers!


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

I'm not an expert on this but I know it's hard to find good stuff. if you want living performers you may have to step around some pop stuff to find their trad stuff... and there are lots of cross-overs that aren't so bad... and I'm looking for more as well...

Anouar Brahem, Rahib Abou-Khalil, Tigran Hamasayan, Jordi Savall.... all dabble in music of this flavor... and I keep finding more on Spotify. Last week I discovered Ross Daly, a "a world musician who specializes in music of the Cretan lyra. Although of Irish descent, he has been living on the island of Crete for over 35 years." Also Kelly Thoma and the string quartet she is a member of called Tokso. If not for Spotify I wouldn't know about these people and there is a lot more to explore.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Here's a favorite of mine: Gharnati.....

Gharnati: Arabo-Andalusian Music from the Maghreb

Here's some more: Malhun....

More Music of Morocco: Malhun


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

More Middle Eastern music....

Light in Babylon: Some World Fusion Music

And music from Mauritania: Gharmy Mint Abba....

Gharmy Mint Abba


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Rahib Abou-Khalil is arabic/jazz fusion.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

starthrower said:


> Rahib Abou-Khalil is arabic/jazz fusion.


Curse words indeed. I shall post here no more.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

philoctetes said:


> Curse words indeed. I shall post here no more.


Whatever, but it's not classical or folk music. But it is good music. I own several CDs.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

starthrower said:


> Whatever, but it's not classical or folk music. But it is good music. I own several CDs.


All along the watchtower, genre-keepers kept the view...

but you and I we've been through that, and this is not my fate...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I don't really care about genres but the OP asked for classical and folk.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Hamza al Din


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Brian Jones and the Stones used to trip acid to this stuff:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jones_Presents_the_Pipes_of_Pan_at_Joujouka


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

starthrower said:


> I don't really care about genres but the OP asked for classical and folk.


I might be guilty of assuming that those terms mean something different than 40 years ago, or worse... I honestly have no clue what makes Abou-Khalil fusion except that he has international guest musicians. That's not what I assume fusion to be, and it's impossible to agree who is right.

I avoid clicking on mystery links so I have no idea what SM posted. But I know there are a few "authentic" recordings of "world" music, that came before it grew to an international industry, that I usually avoid. By now it seems counter-productive to sweep newer music away as not "classical". Maybe that's where I go wrong.

The latest by Brahem has Holland and deJohnette. It sounds no worse than those he did with lesser known musicians. These guys are doing excellent "east meets west" concerts at the SF Jazz house several times a year, with Vijay Iyer, Zakir Hussein and others - and I admit I wish Chris Potter would just butt out cause blues is about all he knows. To me jazz IS folk music of a very high order, and it's international almost by definition. However the meaning of the word "classical" is more confusing to me in this context.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Hazma, Brahem, and Abou-Khalil all play the oud... to me, Hazma el din and the Jajoukans are old stuff.. from the old days when there was little else to hear in the west... one does not abandon anything sacred by updating to more recent developments by younger / living performers...


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

I like this a lot, but it also may not fit the specifications


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The "Mystery Links" I posted are to TalkClassical Non-Classical posts I made one or two years ago. They are completely harmless, and safe for even small children. I guarantee it.


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## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions guys!!

Yes I have and love Jordi Savall albums!


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## Marinera (May 13, 2016)

All of these and also Trio Joubran, Carles Magraner with Capella de Ministrers


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Yet another link, in which we first meet Rym Hakiki.......

More Highly-Addictive Moroccan/Arabic Song


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## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Strange Magic said:


> More Middle Eastern music....
> 
> Light in Babylon: Some World Fusion Music
> 
> ...


I liked the Gharmy Mint Abba stuff a lot!!


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## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Marinera said:


> All of these and also Trio Joubran, Carles Magraner with Capella de Ministrers


Some o fthe Capella de Ministrers albums look perfect for what I want thanks!


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Spent some time touring Armenia via Spotify yesterday. Found more music like the Savall stuff among various duduk ensembles... that instrument has a Call of The Wild sound like no other... hard to avoid some having light "fusion" touches (electronics) but they are often used to good effect. Some of these groups play better than average compositions, very melodic, sometimes with modulations...


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## apollo (Feb 23, 2019)

turkish/sufi music




azerbaijan


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

He's on the same label as Nicky Skopelitis and Bill Laswell.


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