Alhaj, Rahim / When The Soul Is Settled: Music Of Iraq
Album: When The Soul Is Settled: Music Of Iraq   Collection:World
Artist:Alhaj, Rahim   Added:Nov 2006
Label:Smithsonian/Folkways  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2007-03-11 Pull Date: 2007-05-13 Charts: Reggae/World
Week Ending: May 13 Mar 25 Mar 18
Airplays: 2 1 3

Recent Airplay
1. Jan 23, 2013: Mediterraneans
Taqsim Maqam Ajam
4. Mar 15, 2012: Arabology
Taqsim Maqam Mukhalif
2. Aug 30, 2012: In Your Ear | Global Radio | Nancy Davenport
Taqsim Maqam Sharqi Rast
5. Feb 07, 2012: Mediterraneans
Taqsim Maqam Ajam
3. Apr 10, 2012: Mediterraneans
Taqsim Maqam Ajam
6. Mar 10, 2011: Double Daydream Disaster
Taqsim Maqam Ajam

Album Review
MichaS
Reviewed 2007-03-12
Improvisational Oud music based on Iraqi traditions, accompanied sometimes by basic percussion. Great stuff –peaceful and meditative. Each piece is based on a traditional maqam, where maqam is a musical system (scale, melodic formulae, mood), which is similar conceptually to the Indian Raga. Each piece begins with an introduction to the maqam, followed by the main improvisational part (taqsim; quite modern in its approach) and ends with the instrumental version of the corresponding traditional song. Classically-trained Alhaj (Arab Classic) left Iraq in 1990 for Jordan and later Syria, and moved to the US in 2000, currently living in New Mexico.
1. Mid-tempo. Percussion (Tambourine) enters at 4:51.
2. Slow, sad and sparse, accompanied by Tambourine. Gets faster at 3:30.
*3. Mid-tempo with some sparser parts. Very atmospheric Arab music. Percussion joins at 5:50 with a rapid belly-dancing (sort of) bounce.
4. Slow to begin and reflective, percussion joins at 5:46 with a mid-tempo rhythm.
5. Mid-tempo.
*6. Slow and plaintive. Solemn percussion joins at 4:58.
7. Rhythmic yet solemn opening, tense developing with up and down scales.
8. Relatively fast, almost belly-dancing-like.
9. Slow and grieving.

Track Listing
1. Taqsim Maqam Ajam   5. Taqsim Maqam Bayyat-Husayni
2. Taqsim Maqam Mukhalif   6. Taqsim Maqam Hijaz
3. Taqsim Maqam Sika   7. Taqsim Maqam Lami
4. Taqsim Maqam Kurd   8. Taqsim Maqam Sharqi Rast
  9. Taqsim Maqam Saba