Search - Hassan Hakmoun :: Life Around the World

Life Around the World
Hassan Hakmoun
Life Around the World
Genres: International Music, Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

Hakmoun comes from a family of Moroccan musicians who practiced Gnawa, a religious and art form involving trance and purification via rhythm and movement. After coming to America in the mid-1980s, he established himself ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Hassan Hakmoun
Title: Life Around the World
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Alula
Original Release Date: 8/4/1998
Re-Release Date: 6/1/1999
Genres: International Music, Jazz, Pop
Style: Africa
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 616498100926

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Hakmoun comes from a family of Moroccan musicians who practiced Gnawa, a religious and art form involving trance and purification via rhythm and movement. After coming to America in the mid-1980s, he established himself not only as a master of the tradition, but a ready innovator who broke the rules, found constants between his music and rock, jazz, and even pop. These recordings, made in 1990 and 1995 show how all of these things can be brought together in an honest and exciting way. Accompanied by long time friends Don Cherry, Hamid Drake, Adam Rudolph, and a cast of jazz and Gnawa musicians, he searches for a new sound for the ancient music, using his sintir (a three string lute) for both ancient effect and modern ambiance. Good vocals, an interesting variety of sounds and a willingness to both honor the roots and ignore the rules give this album high marks. --Louis Gibson

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CD Reviews

En-TRANCED
10/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was lucky enough to see Hassan Hakmoun and his little brother perform for a live broadcast as part of Chicago's second annual World Music Festival last week. Although his performance differed from this recording in that the music was pared down to sintir and hand-held percussion, the effect was similar: repetitive (but never tedious) rhythmic ground as a basis for soaring, yearning vocals. Oddly, one western group that came fleetingly to mind was the Grateful Dead in their more contemplative improvisational pieces such as Dark Star--a similar trance-inducing music. I have always loved feeling so transported!"
An audio delight-blend, a taste of home
02/19/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thanks Hassan for this real feast of musical delights. "Life Around the World" shows the maturity of Hassan Hakmoun as world-class music man. The invited musicians, with their own style of vocals and instruments, from different cultures and background blend-in in a perfect harmony, to our delight, with Hassan the gnawi. I particularly enjoyed the great talents of Richard Horowitz playing the ney in Chabakouni 1 ( #5)... This demonstrates a deep musical complicity between Hassan and Richard and also with Adam, Don, Abdul and all the numerous very talented artists from a veriety of different horizons.... Hassan demontrates in this CD that music is indeed a universal language... :) Thanks again"