Jon Balke – Siwan: Nahnou Houm (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 47:28 minutes | 861 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz | Booklet, Front Cover | © ECM
In 2009, Jon Balke, who’s been a resident at the ECM label for several years, embarks on the Siwan adventure, an international collective created in order to make the boundaries between world music, classical music and jazz sway. Moroccan singer Amina Alaoui and American trumpet player Jon Hassell are then among its copilots… Eightyears later, the Norwegian pianist revives this adventure by placing his exceptional instrumental forces at the service of a new voice, the one of Algerian singer Mona Boutchebak. With Siwan – Nahnou Houm, Balke and his musicians highlight the links between Arab music, Andalusian classical music and European baroque music that have ignited the sextagenarian Norwegian’s imagination when he started this project. To bring these sound scenes even closer, he set about putting into music Al Andalus’ poetry, reflecting an era of coexistence between the three great monotheistic religions. The strength as well as the singularity of Siwan is to never present itself as a historic project but on the contrary as a really contemporary swerve, delivered by an association of strong-minded musicians, putting their talents at the service of a singer deeply rooted in Arab traditional music.
Tracklist:
01 – Duda
02 – Desmayar Se
03 – Castigo
04 – Del Rey
05 – Ma Kontou
06 – Nahnou Houm
07 – ZemZemeh
08 – Aun Bebiendo
09 – Arco Y Flecha
10 – Sin Nada Querer
11 – Itimad
Produced by Jon Balke. Engineered by Thomas Vang.
Recorded in January 2017 at Madstun and The Village Recording, Copenhagen.
Mixed in May 2017 at The Village Recording by Thomas Vang and Jon Balke.
Mastered by Christoph Stickel at MSM Studios, Munich.
Musicians:
Jon Balke – keyboards
Mona Boutchebak – vocals
Helge Norbakken – percussion
Pedram Khavar Zamini – tumbak
Derya Türkan – kemençe
Barokksolistene :
Bjarte Eike – violin, leader
Alison Luthmers – violin
Øivind Nussle – violin
Miloš Valent – viola
Per Buhre – viola
Torbjorn Kohl – viola
Judith Maria Blomsterberg – violoncello
Mime Brinkmann – violoncello
Johannes Lundberg – double bass
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