Raqs Farabi
Product Description Something old, something new... So many have asked for some of our older material on CD - so we remastered many of the tracks from the out of print cassetes Taverna and Travels with Farabi, plus the often-requested "Rompi Rompi", and added some hot new Turkish Gypsy tracks (some devastating Slow 9/8's), along with some great live tracks. This CD is almost all music for Raqs Sharki (Middle Eastern Dance). The music is includes more of the Arabic pieces that Farabi was performing earlier in their career as well as the Turkish, Greek, and Gypsy music they are famous for. Worth having in its own right and definately something to have if you are a Farabi fan. All CD's are hand numbered and are considered limited editions. Raqs Farabi - Farabi Rocks! Farabi is an American born quartet that performs evocative acoustic music from the Middle East. Their CD Raqs Farabi was released in spring of 1999. It is a compilation of old favorites asked for over and over by audiences and new recordings of the bands personal favorites. As in all of Farabi's recording, songs are recorded in traditional dance sets, allowing the listener to hear the music the way they would in person. The group uses the traditional ud (lute), keman (violin), doumbek (drum), and riqq (tambourine), and performs at world music festivals, oriental dance galas, concert halls, and clubs through California. Their CD's and two previous albums on cassette have sold internationally, and are used for performance and choreography by top Middle Eastern dancers. Review "Dancing with Farabi is a special opportunity for a dancer to experience a high quality of music in an environment where they are totally supported. -- Souraya, San Diego, CA "Farabi embodies all the passion and purity of former times in classical middle eastern dance music." -- Alexandra King, Santa Barbara, CA "Farabi is a magic carpet ride to the place where you've danced in your dreams." -- Leyla Atwil, Santa Barbara, CA "Not only is Farabi a very creative and multi-talented ensemble, but they are such wonderful musicians to work with! -- Dalia Carella, New York, NY "The music is definately not commercial and, judging by the rapturous expression on the faces of the Turkish students, it is authentic." -- The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs About the Artist What makes Farabi unique is the breadth of repertoire they perform. Though they specialize in dance music (Turkish, Arabic, Greek and Armenian styles), they are scholars of Turkish gypsy, folk and classical music, and of Greek rebetika music from the 1920's. The music they play ranges from raucous, upbeat dance music to sad songs of human alienation and the plight of the dispossessed. They have performed several times with members of the famous Necdet Yasar Ensemble (Turkey's most renowned classical ensemble), particularly the virtuoso udist Necati elik. In a way, their career is similar to Greek and Turkish rebetika bands from the 1920's, as Farabi started in restaurants and smoky clubs, but with increasing recognition took an important place in festivals and concert stages. Their transcendent, spiritual sound is refreshing in today's sterile world of electronic pop fads. The members of Farabi have as diverse backgrounds as the music they perform. Eliot Bates, who plays ud, piano, and sings Turkish folk music, is a composer and ethnomusicologist. He wrote three of the songs on the Mosiac CD, and produced it as well. In addition to Turkish music, his musical work includes Javanese gamelan, ambient experimental music, and world music production. Jonathan Kessler is nationally known as a master doumbek player and teacher. His sold out drum workshops prompted him to make the now famous Doumbek Video and Doumbek Video Companion CD. In addition, he has published articles on the complex Arabic and Turkish rhythms, works in the internet technology field, and maintains a home in the redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Brad Wright began his musical career on the Bulgarian gadulka, a 13 stringed fiddle, and was part of a touring Balkan ensemble. He is an abstract painter, whose work owes much to the intricate patterns of Turkish makam (music modes). He also has done the exquisite artwork on the Farabi album covers. Shirley Force plays Riqq. She has been well known on the folk dance scene for many years and continues to play and teach with the UCSB Middle Eastern Ensemble. She recently returned from a music competition in the Uzbekistan. See more
Farabi   Format: Audio CD
{"Original Release Date": "1999", "Date First Available": "January 19, 2007", "Number of discs": "1"}