Dhafer Youssef - Divine Shadows (2006)

Jazzland Recordings: 0602498772249

http://www.jazzlandrec.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=31

* Dhafer Youssef: oud, vocal
* Arve Henriksen: trumpet, electronics
* Eivind Aarset: guitars, electronics, programming
* Audun Erlien: bass, bass balalaika
* Marilyn Mazur: percussion
* Rune Arnesen: drums, programming
* Jan Bang: programming
* Oslo Session String Quartet

Homepage:

http://www.dhaferyoussef.com/

About Divine Shadows:

http://www.dhaferyoussef.com/music/divine.htm

http://www.dhaferyoussef.com/music/divine_text.htm

Review
~~~~~

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/apr/23/17
Stuart Nicholson
The Observer, Sunday 23 April 2006

We're all in a hurry to get our fixes - the first sip of caffeine in the
morning, fast food rather than sit-down meals, impatience to reach the hook of a
favourite song. This desire for instant gratification has become ingrained into
our culture.

And now you've got 40 seconds to decide whether to pay for a download from an
online music store. But what about music that you might not get in that time?
Does it mean we're all doomed to remain in our comfort zones, never to be
troubled with new or unusual sounds?

For some, perhaps, that may be the case, but thankfully there are people who
want new experiences, and Dhafer Youssef's music is a good place to start. A
Tunisian-born singer who's been living and working in Europe since 1990, Youssef
opens his soul and projects a thousand aching meanings inspired by the wisdom
and spiritualism of the centuries-old Sufic tradition, resulting in music of
such timeless beauty you can imagine it happening at any point over the last
thousand years. It's the sound of humanity that resonates within us all, a
universality that stirs something deep within that we never knew was there. And
what Youssef does is imbue this sound with contemporary relevance by seizing the
liberating potential of technology.

Complemented by four ultra-hip Norwegian nu jazz musicians (Eivind Aarset, Arve
Henriksen, Rune Arnesen, Audun Erlien), his ancient praise singing is played out
against a new sonic backdrop coloured by fragments of electronic sounds, rhythms
and samples, all of which ripple through the music. The result is what every
artist wants to do (but very few indeed succeed in doing) - to create music of
the past, the present and the future.

Produced by post-Hendrix guitar wizard Aarset, whose incredible
electronica-inspired textures perfectly frame Youssef's voice and oud playing
(the Arabic lute), this highly personal world is perfectly complemented by the
playing and singing of trumpeter Henriksen. One of Norway's most creative and
compelling musicians, his trumpet can sound like a pan flute one minute, the
next a Vindaloo-inspired fart; while his wordless vocals are sometimes used to
echo Youssef's own and range from a dreamy tenor to an incredible falsetto that
would give any castrato a run for his money.

Add contributions from the Oslo Session String Quartet - who bolster melody
lines and add gorgeous, ambient-sounding harmonies - and Youssef's fourth album,
from the opening 'Cantus Lamentus' through the 11/4 groove of 'Eleventh Stone'
to the haunting 'Postludium', is one that may not provide a quick fix but will
supply lasting beauty.

No prizes for guessing which I'd prefer.

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