The first precise whisperings of Ghofran on track one, Sama'i 'Ajam 'Ushayraan, surprise and elevate the listener. It's the mysterious and unfamiliar force of Samer Totah’s compositions, their presence and unmitigated aura of musicality that does it. His style provides the listener with a different take on traditional Arab musical arts, even when it is second nature to him!

Totah’s compositions slide smoothly yet hesitantly from some remote point, both haunting and alien, and then draw you into their tender embrace and realism. This album is obviously an intensive exploration of Palestinian emotions, dreams, and realities. While passionately pursuing new lines of thought and musicality and holding strong to traditional ‘oud aesthetics, Totah is a minimalist of sorts, but pours too much feeling into his art to remain a vivid medium for musical ideas. He joins those who interpret intense visions into new manifestations of sound. In Ghofran, he managed to incorporate influences that are subtle in terms of maqam, and appear to be contemporary in terms of conceptual content. Contextually, as experimental and daring his musical adventure seems to be, the future of Palestinian music in general extends itself beyond him towards a highly unstable, regional musical market. However, if you're still looking for what Palestinian musicians have been working on these days, this CD is among the best to pursue.

 

Issa Boulos is a lecturer in music at the University of Chicago, a composer, ‘oud player, and music critic for Four Magazine.
 

Photos by Majdi Hadid