Koum Tara – Baraaim El-louz (Obradek, 2023)
After the runaway success of their first album together, Koum Tara and La Camerata present the sublime and prodigiously performed Baraaim El-louz (The buds of the almond tree). The line “Rise and behold the buds of the almond tree” comes from the poem Koum Tara, and it is in this spirit that this elegant album was conceived: an invitation to admire spring, its renewal and its continuity. Certainly, renewal because the group, with its new singer, has come up with original compositions and lyrics that open up new horizons for modern chaabi.
In terms of continuity, Koum Tara remains a multifaceted cultural journey, based on traditional chaabi poetry and melodies plus a colorful Western classical string quartet, and cutting edge contemporary jazz keyboards (band leader Karim Maurice is an exceptional keyboard player).
This new repertoire, which took shape during the confinement of 2020, further explores the roots of chaabi. Chiefly, Baraaim El-louz features traditional melodies and lyrics by Mahboub Bati, Dahmane El Harrachi and Mohamed El Badji, thus honoring some great figures of this popular music style. This second recording is also enriched by original compositions and previously unpublished texts, written mainly by vocalist Hamidou (Mohamed Hamam) and Karim Maurice.
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.