Search - Latif Bolat :: Eyvallah: Songs of Surrender

Clearly his best

me | here | 03/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is by far his best CD. Very sponateous and real. I played a couple of shows with him (as a very novice 'ud player) and knew that he could do some great tunes, but-- my apologies to Latif-- his other recordings didn't seem to capture what I knew he was capable of. Though his other CDs were okay, they seemed uninspired (and on Infinite Beginning even a little off-key). Still he is a good, solid source if you want to learn songs. All of his albums feature well-selected songs, primarily from the Bektashi tradition, so any are good to learn from and he plays them correctly (unlike many of the albums commonly available in the States). But this CD hits a magic the others don't have... and frankly, few albums by anyone do.



I'm not saying that there is a lot of fancy, intricate Erol Parlak-style saz playing here, but this is very representative of the ashik tradition of Turkish Sufi music. On this CD, he captures both the ecstacy and wildness of a Sufi gathering-- and I've been to lots of them-- and also a greater control of the intricacy and detail of that music than on his previous recordings. Honestly, his other albums are so-so. But this is a gem. When I say that, please keep in mind that I am trying to stay with the standards of Alevi/Bektashi musicians commonly heard in Turkey: Ashik Mahsuni Sherif, Arif Sag, Musa Eroglu, Yavuz Top, Belkis Akkale, Sabahat Akiraz, Erdal Erzincan (excellent), Huseyin Albayrak and Ali Riza Albayrak (my current favorites), Erol Parlak (AMAZING) etc. That's really tough competion... and no, this even this CD is not quite on that level in terms of technical musicianship. But anyone knowledgeable about that style knows that those folks are hard to find in the U. S.



One friend of mine (who knows Latif better than I do: I only met him a couple of times) stated that Latif came to this music not quite knowing what he was getting into... and the music and the people he met and the gatherings he played for turned him into a real dervish. I think a comparison of his albums confirms this. The others are not bad (by the standards of what's available in the US) but this is quite good, even by the standards of what you can find in Turkey. Not the most intricate saz (if you are really into current Alevi-style players in Turkey) but certainly more than competant... and this album (much more than his others, which are also pretty decent) radiates sincerity and ASHK.



I certainly hope this review doesn't sound negative; it's his best yet and it reflects what his live performances have demonstrated for years. Any limit to the praise I have for this CD is based on A)rating this in comparison with the best Alevi/Bektashi saz players and singers in the world --and I think Latif would agree that those folks I mentioned are that-- even if really hard to find in this country, and B)suggesting that even if you have his previous albums, you really should hear this. His early work wasn't bad, but this is excellent.



Though I highly recommend that you give Arif Sag, Musa Eroglu, Erol Parlak, Erdal Erzincan, and the Alybayrak brothers a listen, this is a really good album. Judgement between them certainly depends a little on what you are looking for. If you are primarily interested in hearing delicate intricacies of saz, I'd suggest Parlak and Erzincan. But this CD (more than any others of Latif's and actually in some ways more than my other suggested listening) captures the power and joy and fire of the Sufi path.



More than almost any CD easily available in USA, this is the sound of Divine Love as expressed in the Sufi tradition.



I should also say that he is really the person who introduced me to Sufi music, and for that I will always be grateful.



Get it, and listen to it 2374898789878 times. It's worth it.



Ya Ali Madad... HU..."