After two years spent whipping the world into a Dabke-induced frenzy, legendary Syrian singer and Arab icon Omar Souleyman returns to Europe this summer as a full-blown, phenomenon of international music.
“Haram (I Signal You Deny)” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjYNrDuRHh0
With a select string of high-grade festival appearances lined up from June through to September, Omar’s star is only set to ascend further with the release of a much-anticipated collaborative record with longtime admirer Bjork, scheduled for May. Also forthcoming are vinyl releases for THE classic Omar anthem “Leh Jani” (epic full-length version!) and the “Dabke 20/20” album (previously only available on CD).
Last year’s “Jazeera Nights” album (his third on Sublime Frequencies) and accompanying tours of Europe and the US heightened the hysteria amongst fans of outernational musics, as well as hip indie kids, serious world music fans and pure party-seekers alike. Wherever he goes with his virtuouso musical comrades Rizan Sa'id (keyboards/beats) and Ali Shaker (electric saz), the response is always the same: the wildest, most jubilant dancefloor atmosphere you can imagine.
Hailing from the rural Northeastern city of Ras Al Ain, Souleyman began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators who he continues to work with. Since then he and his group have emerged as a staple of street level folk-pop throughout Syria, having issued more than 500 studio and live-recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city.
The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in the Omar Souleyman band's music, which reflects the sounds of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and the sizeable Kurdish population. The mood swings from coarse and urgent to dirgy and contemplative in the rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Omar's superb and varied vocal stylings feature over high-octane Syrian 'Dabke', Iraqi Choubi and a host of other styles, where frenetic Arabic keyboard solos, sample hits and machine gun percussion by the incredible Rizan Sa'id intertwine with Ali Shaker's psychedelic electric saz runs.
Sublime Frequencies - www.sublimefrequencies.com
“Leh Jani” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgRUHIeaKOk
“It's strange to think of Omar Souleyman as a global pop star, but that's exactly what he has grown to become" Tiny Mix Tapes
“A day-glo cloudburst of warpspeed Bontempi rhythms and snaking micro-tonal melodies... Amphetamine-powered merengue of dysmorphic frequencies” The Quietus
“...the most joyful, jouissant and probably unintentionally punk celebration of pure
sound since the earliest days of Hardcore Techno” The Wire
“His humble beginnings, his undeniable alien cool, and the utter danceability of the dabke sound make for a compelling listen. Those surreal, disturbing lyrics make for the cherry on top” BBC