Andalusia Of Love

Trio of Lebanese oud player and vocalist Marcel Khalife and his two sons, Rami (piano) and Bachar (percussion) joined by Gilbert Yammime (qanun) play pieces inspired by Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish; lyrics speak of passionate love and desire for the lost world of Al Andalus – the medieval era of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish co-existence; musically quite unique and startling; all virtuoso players

NO FCC's; Favorite tracks: 2, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14

1- Overture (5:30) piano starts with echoing sounds; oud comes in and the complexity grows; very resonant and intricate; starts western and segues into more classical Arab music

**2 – Ouhibouki (6:40) strong piano chords mixed with oud starts off; oud stays bass with piano doing treble; Arabic lyrics come in; qanun surrounds the words; very lush; western experimental segues to more traditional song form

3 – Ana Li Habibi (4:40) – more uptempo; with strong lyrics and electro-oud and qanun

4 – Taratil (2:00) – quiet piano starts and continues; all instrumental

5 – Nassiti (5:15) – pretty treble qanun and piano; almost Japanese sounding intro; singer comes in and arrangement becomes more traditional

6- Maraya (1:08) – elaborate piano with chords and arpeggios; instrumental

7- Ya Habibi (2:52) – opens with delicate qanun and piano with singer; segues to traditional

*8- Achtahiki (5:59) – elaborate qanun intro; singer comes in; midway through singer pauses then continues; heart-breakingly pretty piano chords at end

9- Faracha (2:19) – interesting damped timbre on qanun with heavy bass piano underneath; modernist

*10- Nahla (4:22) – lyrical with sung lyrics surrounded by qanun and piano; traditional, tender

*11- Araki (4:24) –lovely, light qanun at beginning with oud beneath and then singer comes in; yearning; fabulous trilling, rumbling music beneath recitative

*12- Yadaik (3:07) – interesting chords start off; singer comes in and takes us on a journey

**13 – Andalos Al Hob (3:34) – title song; uptempo, really moves, more traditional

*14- Achikain (5:35) – uptempo; more modernist; bass piano line; great percussion, qanun; all instrumental; trails off with sweet piano motif