Search - Hookah Cafe :: Hookah Cafe

Eastern atmosphere very alluring

MR J TIMMERMAN | Lawson, NSW Australia | 08/26/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a compilation of East-West fusion, exotic without being too unfamiliar. It's reminiscent of the Café Del Mar series, but more worldy, rather like the work Australian Michael Askill did with Omar Faruk Tekbilek, where the sounds of traditional and western instruments highlighted by some serious percussion create beautiful effects and spine-tingling excitement. From the rich sensuous voices of Greece's Kristi Stassinopolou and India's Najma to the tasteful desert evocations created by Egyptian stars Hamza El Din and Hossam Ramzy or Palestine's Simon Shaheen, from the industrial creation of India's Jai Uttal to the mellow jazzy meanderings of Senegal's Steve Shehan and Youssef el Idrissi, the range of sound tapestries presented here make for interesting discovery. Yet despite the variety of sources, there is, as the title of the album suggests, a consistent atmosphere here of alluring mysticism that's hugely attractive, helped along by high quality recordings and productions. Nicely presented but without sleeve notes, an above average world fusion compilation."