Search - Latif Bolat :: Infinite Beginning: Devotional Songs of Turkey

Trance-inducing, Deeply Inspirational

Erika Borsos | Gulf Coast of FL, USA | 06/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is filled with deeply devotional and inspired mystical music of the Sufis. The music orginates primarily from ancient Anatolia (Turkey) although there is one in the makam Kurdi from Eastern Turkistan. The CD contains worship type songs called, 'zikr'. The liner notes explain these are based on the "remembrance of the Friend". Most of the tracks are in the musical form called, "ilahis", which are hymns, based on poems set to music ... in the Alevi-Bektashi they are called "nefes". The music is intense, spiritual, and personal. It possesses awesome beauty and powerful splendor. There are magnificnet vibrational frequencies that resonate with the heart and soul of the listener.



Latif Bolat plays the baglama (long-necked flute) with heartfelt technical precision and soulful artistic expression, along with his sincere and strong vocals. His piano solos are spine-tingling and splendidly masterful. The passion and aesthetic beauty of this CD is difficult to express in words. In some tracks there are ethereal violin strings that capture the listener ... unaware ... mystical, haunting, awe-inspiring. Emam adds the all important percussion which contains a primeval, trance-inducing element. The different makams included on this CD are: "neveser", "nihavend', "kurdi", and "ussak-karcigar". There are different medleys of songs included in each makam. The music flows with the voice of Latif Bolat and his magnificent lute-playing. This is indeed infinite mystical worship music ... at its finest. Erika Borsos (erikab93)"