Friday Music: Qawalli, Meet Reggae
It’s Friday — I’m turning off my brain and enjoying the music.
Six Degrees Records has a new release featuring the stirring vocals of ten-years-deceased Qawalli superstar Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan set to new dub-reggae tracks by electronica-dub-mixoligist Gaudi.
The combination, called Dub Qawwali, is chilling but chill-out; familiar yet newly intriguing; global and western; and utterly addictive. I’ve been listening to it all week, and it’s worth passing the word.
Over at sixdegreesrecords.com they’re offering a free song download (it’s one of the best on the album) plus obviously the full album via download or CD. Enjoy.
(PS — just found an NPR story, airing today, on the project. Includes the fascinating story on the effort and an interview with Gaudi…who clearly had his work cut out for him. The word is out.)
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Last week I have bought this album DUB QAWWALI by GAUDI & NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN…….WOW WOW WOW..!!!!!! for me this is a pure gem! I am not a music journalist or a music expert but all i know is that I LOVE THIS ALBUM soooo much; i already had albums by Gaudi and albums from “Guru” Khan singularly, both beautiful ,….but this new combination between them is something extremely fresh, elegant, classy, uplifting! GOOD MUSIC! Martin Preston (Phoenix)
This cd is awesome and I recommend it highly! I think Gaudi did an amazing job with arranging some very difficult material from an old Qawwali Master; for me this is one of the best album around at the moment! Sabrina M.
Agreed, agreed. While I’m certainly no music journalist either, the album seems to have a universality to it that can appeal to many types. While it’s easy to classify as reggae, electronica or (tangentially) qawwali, the hybridization of these makes a new form…one that’s mellow, malleable, and worldly without having to be necessarily world beat. Good stuff.
simply….an amazing album! a true gem. R.