Shabda : शब्द

Musical pictures are discovered consequently and figuratively in chronological order in the poem, each of them has its own meaning. The composition is opened with “Pagan Russia” showing the listeners pictures of wide steppes of old Russian Land. Unusual timbres of ancient wind instruments – ocarinas together with muffled sounds of kettle drums as background music, bring your mind to old times.

Celestial’s first album, Spirit House, is an engaging blend of styles and sounds. Peter Millward is the group’s mastermind, writing most of the songs and thereby developing a signature sound which draws from a variety of sources, from contemporary worldbeat, pop and new age music to Vietnamese and Chinese folk. There’s nothing overtly challenging on the album. Instead, it’s an inviting set of worldbeat fusion deisgned to stimulate emotions, not the mind. And, according to that criterion, it works very well indeed.

The song are located on the up-tempo synthesizer base makes for a wonderful meeting between the levels of organic voices and electronic beats dance (like Deep Forest has expertly displayed on their album). Other traditional celtic instrument’s if Uillean Pipes (Irish Bag Pipes) Bag Pipes Bombarde Hautbois and a number of others also enjoy solos in the songs music is always very impressive and magnificent with the album explore the many emotions from sadness to joy.

It is perfect background for relaxing with a novel by the great Egyptian author Naguib Mahfoux, especially the classy and attractive performance by the Takht Ensemble of Cairo. Stringed instrument lovers will particularly enjoy the astounding oud solo by Gomaa Muhammed Ali. The recording quality is fat, bringing out certain low tones in the oud and drum in a way that reaches right for the gut.

This is the most recent of Alhaj’s CD (released after his Grammy nomination for best World Music CD) and is a beautiful and unique musical story of his first trip back to Baghdad, Iraq after 13 years in exile. His contemporary compositions, rooted in traditional Iraqi rhythms and modes show a masterly ability to communicate a wide range of emotions and moods including deep connection to his mother (Closeness), sorrow for American pain and loss after 9-11 (Gray Morning), horror at a close cousin’s death in Iraq (Qassim), Compassion for all living beings modeled on Far Eastern styling, Tango rhythm and connection to a new favorite tree in a new homeland (Oak) and cowboy blues combined with Oriental structure (Baghdad, New Mexico).

Alif (2001) was produced by Steve Shehan. Alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and it also signifies the first letter for Allah. The seventh song and title track is a Sufi masterpiece of devotional love in all its forms – divine love, romantic love, and love of life. This is the theme running through the album’s 12 songs. The album includes Hadji Atmet Tekbilek, Mamak Khadem, and Flamenco guitarist Jose Antonio Rodriguez.

Lullaby song, folk song, spiritual song… Gongs or Cong-Chieng, lithopone, 36 string zither… Traditional music has played an important role in the lives of the Vietnamese. Currently, music still occupies a considerable position in the spiritual lives of the Vietnamese.