tamim antakli | Little Rock, Arkansas | 02/21/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was enchanted and rejuvenated by this production. Most notable is the attention to authenticity and fedility to the heritage without immersing in commercialism of pop music of recent times in the middle east. I hope the group would publish more and would follow a systematic way of archiving their work to represent the rich musical heritage of Aleppo."
A nicely performed and packaged piece of Syrian music
Hisham Hashim | Oklahoma | 10/20/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The two CD's are beautifully bound in a booklet that describes Aleppo and its music as well its traditional houses and the Citadel. The music is pure and original. It took me back to my childhood days in Aleppo a half century ago."
A good representation of Arab/Andalusian music in Syria
Hisham Hashim | 01/14/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I am a student of this type of music and I find this cd to be a very worthwhile purchase (this is saying a lot considering my modest budget!) Sabri Moudallal is an acknowledged master of this type of music and those who join him on this recording represent their native Syria (city of Halab/Aleppo) well. It is a good cd to provide a wide base of knowledge for any listener interested in this region or just anyone interested in listening to good music. A cd for all -- just wish the company could ship it here sooner!"
The Arabic Buena Vista Social Club
habib_hazzan | Decatur, GA United States | 09/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the best productions of Arabic classical music. The music, vocals and even the sequence of the pieces makes listening to the two CDs a great pleasure. The voices of the Moudallal and Sarmini counter yet complete each other. Very much like the orient itself one voice, Moudallal, is the old and warm voice and the other, Sarmini, is the young vibrant voice exploding with energy.
Musically this is the Arabic counterpart of the Buena Vista Social Club. Any one noticed how it sometimes takes someone from the outside to notice and bring to the world this rich culture that vibrates in the glorious rooms of Hallab (Aleppo) or the streets of Havana? Julien Jalal Eddine Weiss did to the Ensemble Al Kindi what Ray Coder did to Rubin Gonzales, Ibrahem Ferrer and the rest of the Cuban legends. The music has been always there, in the rooms and allies of Aleppo and now it is for the world to hear and love. The booklet that comes with these two CDs is a great introduction to the music and is able, without being too academic or too nostalgic, to convey the spirit and essence of Aleppo and the classical Arabic music."