That's Hu: Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express with "Hu"

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood performs with Shye Ben Tzur and The Rajasthan Express on today's random song. Long an admirer of composer Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood contacted him with a proposal to collaborate on an album of music from Rajasthan. They both agreed that they would only use native string instruments and hire only musicians from the region. They assembled a group they called The Rajasthan Express, comprising musicians from three traditions: Qawwali, Sufi and Muslim Roma (providing brass). The music was written by Shye Ben Tzur, and Greenwood contributed guitar, bass and keyboards, ondes Martenot and programming. A documentary of the making of the album, from which this video is an outtake, was filmed and recorded by Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson. The song you will experience is Hu, taken from disc 1 of the 2015 album Junun by Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and The Rajasthan Express. The documentary has the same name, Junun.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junun_(album)

It's the Breath: Mercan Dede and "Souffle"

Turkish-French and Sufi-influenced musician Mercan Dede performs today's random tune. Also known as DJ Arkin Allen, Dede is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Souffle, is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath). While it is easy to associate the song's title with a cakey savory or sweet, in medicine souffle actually refers the breath.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercan_Dede

Flamenco Dervishes: Tahir Aydoğdu and Eric Vaarzon Morel with "Hermanos (Sema Ve Dans)"

Today's random tune is an interesting hybrid - Sufi flamenco! The artists are Tahir Aydoğdu and Eric Vaarzon Morel. Known for fusing Western classical music and jazz with Turkish classical music, Tahir Aydoğdu is a Turkish virtuoso of the qanun, a type of dulcimer that is plucked. Eric Vaarzon Morel is a Dutch flamenco guitarist and the great grandson of the Dutch painter Willem Vaarzon Morel. He was taught by Paco Peña and at nineteen he moved to Spain and lived for two years. He has worked with a variety of musicians. This song, Hermanos (Sema Ve Dans), can be found on their album Sufi Müzik'ten Flamenko'ya (From Sufi to Flamenco), issued in 2000.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahir_Aydo%C4%9Fdu">Tahir Aydoğdu; https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Vaarzon_Morel

Pomegranates and Flutes: Mercan Dede and "Nar-I Ney"

Mercan Dede, also known as DJ Arkin Allen, brings us today's random tune. Dede is a Turkish-French musician and composer who draws inspiration from Sufi music. He is a player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum), and he fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Nar-I Ney, is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercan_Dede

Melancholy Longing: Omar Faruk Tekbilek and "Hasret"

Today's random song is called Hasret and is performed by Omar Faruk Tekbilek. A Turkish composer and musician who is multi-faceted, playing wind, percussion and stringed instruments, he add electronic ambient sounds to traditional Sufi music. As a teenager in the mid-1960s, he considered devoting his life to Sufism but at 15 decided to pursue music as his profession. He toured the United States with a Turkish folk ensemble in 1971. On the tour he met his future wife, and returned to the US after compulsory military service. He worked in an apparel factory in Rochester, New York while honing his craft in a pop and fusion band called The Sultans, but opportunities were few and far between until he met composer, musician and guitarist Briane Keane in 1988. Keane engaged him for a soundtrack he was working on for the movie Suleyman the Magnificent, and eventually became Tekbilek's producer. You can find Hasret on Omar Faruk Tekbilek's 2011 album Mystical Garden, and on numerous compilation albums such as Pera Lounge (2011).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Faruk_Tekbilek

Sweet and Savory: Mercan Dede and "Souffle"

Today's tune is by a Turkish-French musician who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Mercan Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Souffle, is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

A Beautiful Time of Day: Mercan Dede and "Engewal (Twilight)"

For your listening pleasure, today's tune is by a Turkish-French musician who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Mercan Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Engewal (Twilight), is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath).

Entrancing: Niyaz and "Hejran"

Today's song is by Niyaz, an Iranian-Canadian musical duo created in 2004. Their music is a mixture of Sufi mysticism and trance electronica, and adapts Persian, Indian and Mediterranean poetry, songs and folk with Western electronica. They write their own songs, and also adapt lyrics from poets such as Rumi, Obeyd-e Zakani, Amir Khusrow and Khaju-ye Kermani and source folk material from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East and parts of Asia. They sing primary in Urdu and Persian, and occasionally in Turkish. This song, Hejran, can be found on their 2008 album Nine Heavens.

Who's That?: Baraka Moon and "Allah Hoo"

Take a little Indian raga and add a generous helping of Sufi trance music and you have our random tune today. Allah Hoo is by Baraka Moon, a Pakistani, Indian, Australian, American band which fuses the music listed above with a dash of didgeridoo, global drums and guitar to create music that transcends boundaries. Legend has it that they were founded on the night of a full moon eclipse in 2008. Allah Hoo can be found on their 2011 CD Baraka Moon.

Poetry to Our Ears: Rasha and "Azara Alhai"

Today's song is called Azara Alhai and is performed by Rasha, a Sudanese singer who vocalizes everything from Arabic poetry to Sufi music and even underscores with hints of reggae. Rasha worked in theater, television and radio at the start of her career but was always interested in making music her primary vocation. To gain greater opportunities, she moved to Cairo in 1991 and then went to Spain where she began working on her debut album. That album centers around oud and percussion, enhanced by bass and backing guitar, also throwing in at times violins, accordions and a Sudanese big band. Topping it all are Rasha's vocals. The album, Sudaniyat, was subsequently named by Folk Roots magazine as one of the 10 best of 1997, and is where you will find Azara Alhai. You can also find it on the compilation CD Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Arabia (2008)

Breezy: Mercan Dede and "Moya Alitu"

Today's random song is by Mercan Dede, and is titled Moya Alitu. Dede is a Turkish musician and DJ, also known as DJ Arkin Allen, living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. He is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum), and he fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. Moya Alitu is from his 2007 CD Breath.

Breathe Easy: Mercan Dede and "Breath"

Today's random song is by Mercan Dede. Dede is a Turkish musician living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. Breath is the title song from his 2007 CD of the same name.

Trancy Pants: Baraka Moon and "Raga Bayragi"

Raga Bayragi - with Baraka Moon from Ken Adams on Vimeo.

A fusion of Indian raga and Sufi trance music provides the basis for our random tune today. Raga Bayragi is by Baraka Moon, a Pakistani, Indian, Australian, American band which fuses the above with didgeridoo, global drums and guitar to create music that transcends boundaries. Legend has it that they were founded on the night of a full moon eclipse in 2008. Raga Bayragi can be found on their 2011 CD Baraka Moon.

Waiting to Exhale: Mercan Dede and "Halitus"

Today's random song is by Mercan Dede. Dede is a Turkish musician living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Halitus, is from his 2007 CD Breath.

Waiting to Exhale: Mercan Dede and "Halitus"

Today's random song is by Mercan Dede. Dede is a Turkish musician living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. Halitus is from his 2007 CD Breath.

Hey There!: Mamak Khadem and "Heydar"

Sorry about the title pun. The random song for today comes from Iranian-American musician Mamak Khadem. Khadem has been called "one of the wonders of world trance music" by the Los Angeles Times, and works from a base of Persian classical music and poetry to weave a sound steeped in ancient tradition but also completely new. Heydar is from her 2007 album Jostojoo (Forever Seeking), and while she continues to use Persian classical music and poetry as her foundation, on this album she has widened the scope of the music to include rhythmic and melodic strains from other countries. She collaborates on Heydar with Turkish musician and composer Ömar Faruk Tekbilek, whose own style builds on Sufi traditional music using traditional instrumentation such as ney, saz, oud, kaval, and zurna but also takes inspiration from ambient electronic music.

Take a Deep One: Mercan Dede and "Breath"

Today's random song is by Mercan Dede. Dede is a Turkish musician living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. Breath is the title song from his 2007 CD of the same name.