Philippe El Hage and Youssef Hbeisch – Asrar (independent release, 2016)
Asrar is a beautiful collaboration between Lebanese piano virtuoso and composer Philippe El Hage and Palestinian percussion maestro Youssef Hbeisch, who uses spellbinding bendir frame drums.
The two musicians and a handful of guests cross into various musical territories, incorporating mesmerizing Arabic modes, western classical music, trance atmospheres, and contemporary jazz.
Asrar was recorded in Switzerland and Dubai and features Philippe El Hage on piano; Youssef Hbeisch on bendir, bass bendir, bongos, shakers, jembe, spring drum, bells and darbuka.
Guests include Houry Dora Apartian-Friendly on vocals; Ramu Maalouf on flute; and Ongjen D. Beader on electric bass.
Buy the digital version of Asrar
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.
