Naïve
Titi Robin : Kali Sultana-l'Hombre du Ghazal -2cd- (F,2008)****
For a two CD album led by oud I must admit there wasn’t one small moment where I wasn’t carried away, as if I was carried along the calmly moving journey. It was as if I was moved through deserted landscapes while thoughts of possible connections of past and future pass by. This journey goes from North Africa over Spain towards France but has also travelled over Balkan areas and has met even Persian elements on its way, always spontaneously occurring like small discoveries.
The first track is led by oud with texturing orchestra tuning into the environmental space, and into its local tonal elements. Alto sax or clarinet or accordion follow the same melodies of the oud player, for it is his story and vision, from a troubadour on the road, catching occasionally some refugee standards now and then, which makes the originating (traditional) tunes just slightly more melancholic but mostly this is a happy road full of discovery, where he is enjoying himself for what he notices, smoothly. The used gumbass has its roots in North Africa. The used percussion sounds more Persian. Now and then, a women’s voice can be heard (Maria Robin) recalling both the North African high note vibrations of singing, as the later gypsy styled songs and something in between. Later, when the album moves northwards, Persian and French songs appear too. I also liked the idea how the Arab / Middle Eastern / Persian / Balkan / Turkish tunings in moments changes into rather medieval flavours (like on CD1,6-7), or occasionally into some North European folk tune (CD1,2), or are adapted accidentally ? by some jazz flavour (CD1,13). Near the end of the CD very calmly the more Arab based inspirations of the oud are tuned more and more into flamenco. Also very surprising was an almost Bach-alike orchestrated tune somewhere near the end, with a more free Middle Eastern percussive improvisation on top (CD2,8).
In all calmness of the concept, and for a double CD, this suite-like concept for me was entirely convincing. Also my girlfriend kept asking me to put it back on. It surely was a convincing and highly enjoyable in fact well perfected concept.
