Search - Hossam Ramzy :: Sabla Tolo: Journeys Into Pure Egyptian Percusion

If you think belly-dancing music is simple, this CD from Cairo-born percussionist Hossam Ramzy, the leader of Pharaoh's Egyptian Ensemble (he also toured with Robert Plant and Debbie Harry), will correct that assumption. Ramzy is a master of the darbouka, the Egyptian version of the tabla; the title of this CD is actually an inverted play on words for "solo tabla." It contains about 45 minutes of intricate and ingenious pre-Islamic, Arabic, and world-beat-influenced solos and rhythms. With other percussion instruments supporting the darbouka, Ramzy creates a fresh, fertile crescent of sound stretching from the Nile to the Middle East, Morocco, and beyond. The track "Brazilian Pearls" features samba-fied grooves thrown in for good measure. An informative booklet details the rhythms of these Saharan syncopations, from "West Naima (Naima's Hip)" to "Samya's Solo." With stealth and skill, Hossam Ramzy shows us the legacy of his land through the belly dancer's hypnotic hips. --Eugene Holley Jr.