Orient Noir – A West-Eastern Divan (Piranha Musik CD-PIR2545, 2012)
German label Piranha Musik presents Orient Noir, a new serving of its Noir series. As the title implies, the focus is on the musics that cross boundaries. The collection was selected by music producer and collector Dr. Bertram Nickolay. Orient Noir – A West-Eastern Divan delivers music with Arabic and Jewish roots, from the eastern Mediterranean to the Maghreb in North Africa.
Dr. Nickolay did a pretty good job with the selection as the album flows very nicely. Highlights include the taarab classic “Pakistani” by Tanzanian legend Bi Kidude Baraka, from Zanzibar, who recently announced her retirement from live performances; Egyptians Salwa Abou Geisha, Mahmoud Fadl and Samy El Bably; Israeli artists Emil Zrihan and Ruth Yaakov; Lebanon’s Ihsan Al-Mounzer; and Watcha Clan’s Im Nin’ Alu Intro.
Dr. Bertram Nickolay is a computer engineer and an expert in image processing at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Facilities and Construction Technology in Berlin. He has worked on reconstructing Stasi (the secret police of the former East Germany) documents.
Fans of modern Middle Eastern and lounge music will enjoy this laid back combination of vocal and instrumental styles.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
