Dhola Maru

Description

Product Description From the windswept desert of northwestern India, at the edge of the Islamic Orient, comes Musafir's Dhola Maru, a whirlwind of masterful rhythms and spiraling polyphonies transporting us into the ethereal landscape of Rajasthan's gods and maharajas, saints and lovers. This world-class gathering of musicians brings alive three sacred music traditions at their highest level - electrifying Muslim qawwali chant, North Indian raga and passionate songs from the dawn of Gypsy culture - drawing us through the trance and irresistibly into the heart of divine ecstasy. .co.uk Rajasthan, in northwestern India, has a unique mix of cultures that has continually enriched not only its own music, but that of much of Asia and Europe over the centuries. Gypsies, Muslims, and Hindus have all contributed to a potent blend of sounds and influences that have grown into a ceremonial music of rare sensuality. Musafir's members reflect this fusion of religions and cultures and by working together have generated a new energy that is all of the above and none. If you know the various sources, you can identify the complex ragas, the ecstatic qawalli voices, the incessant swirl of the Sufi, and the physicality of Gypsy songs, but they are merged into a new sound in the hands of these musicians, singers, and dancers. The nine tracks include mesmerizing love songs, frantic dance tunes, powerful ensemble and imploring solo vocals, accompanied by harmonium, dholak, sarangi, and a host of other instruments that represent the region's diversity. Musafir are uniquely equipped to translate these many cultures into an important cooperative of sound. --Louis Gibson