Sandeep Das & The Hum Ensemble – Delhi to Damascus (In a Circle Records, 2020)
Delhi to Damascus is an outstanding collaboration between Indian music maestros Sandeep Das, Rajib Karmakar, and Suhail Yusuf Khan and Syrian ud player Kinan Adnawi. The idea for the Delhi to Damascus project arose around 2018 when tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das listened to a world music concert performed by his students. He was deeply moved. With the change of a single musical note, he could effortlessly travel from one country to another. This was the power of music that conjures memories.
Sandeep put together the quartet and the international collaboration was a success. They toured live and recorded this masterful album titled Delhi to Damascus. Two of the great international musical traditional traditions come together, Indian and Arabic music. This appears in the form of classic Indian ragas; the melodic interchange of Arabic Maqams, Sufi poetry, North Indian light-classical thumri and traditional music.
Delhi to Damascus is pure delight, featuring impeccable ensemble work, exquisite interplay and memorable solos. According to Sandeep Das, this is music to spread love, a spiritual journey that adopts the values of inclusion, compassion, and global community.
The lineup includes Sandeep Das on tabla; Kinan Adnawi on ud; Rajib Karmakar on sitar; and Suhail Yusuf Khan on sarangi.
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.