Whirling

The great musical traditions of the Middle East include serene, meditative courtly works; and the continually building, relentlessly propellant music that drives the famed Whirling Dervishes to spiritual ecstasy. These haunting, timeless sounds still echo through the years, and those echoes have now reached the United States. Whirling is Omar Faruk Tekbilek's first recording as a soloist. Here, Tekbilek presents a full range of traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern music that will appeal to Western listeners and fans of the early Celestial Harmonies recordings. Whirling's diverse music includes new compositions by Tekbilek and Brian Keane, and also features a beautiful new version of an early work by Deuter, the contemplative La Ilaha Il Allah. The recording begins with a traditional Sufi work associated with the Mevlevi or Whirling Dervishes.

Tekbilek, plays an impressive array of instruments on Whirling, including the instruments he is most often associated with, the ney flute and the lute known as baglama. Tekbilek's arsenal also includes lesser known instruments like the Arabian clarinet and Turkish oboe, as well as a battery of jar drums and frame drums, and the Western accordion. Guest musician, Brian Keane, contributes atmospheric washes of guitar and synthesizer, and a small but select ensemble of Middle Eastern musicians round out the sound with Arabian lutes, zither, and percussion.