Opium CD

Description

Opium
by Sherefe

Song Titles:
Gole Sangam
Ruske Le Mome
Huzam Kamelieriko
Yianni Mou To
Sokol Mi Leta
Geldim Bir Kara Tasha
Alf Layla Wa Leyla
Wow! The Opium and Sherefe CD’s… both of them, are incredible! Some of the best music I’ve heard in a while. Can’t wait to dance to some of it! — Bella Mavi

SHEREFE, named after the Turkish drinking toast “to your honor”, is a group of American musicians based in Boulder, Colorado dedicated to performing traditional music from the Balkans and the Middle East. This album is a special collection of ballads and laments, drawn from different regional cultures, but all expressing the same theme of loss in love and war. For centuries music like this has transported the player and listener beyond the pain of life, or made a sweet life sweeter still.

Song Titles, Duration & Place of Origin:

Gole Sangam 7:53 Iran
Ruske Le Mome 6:17 Razlog, Pirin Bulgaria
Huzam Kamelieriko 8:04 Greece, originating in Asia Minor, instrumental
Yianni Mou To 7:45 Epiros, Northern Greece
Sokol Mi Leta 3:40 Bapchor, Agean Macedonia
Geldim Bir Kara Tasha 6:07 Sufi, Konya, Turkey
Alf Leyla Wa Leyla 8:28 by Baligh Hamdi, Egypt, instrumental

Musicians:

Paul Brown: acoustic bass, zarb
James Hoskins: cello, vocals
Jesse Manno: baglama, bouzouki, flutes, vocals
Beth Quist: lead vocals, hammered dulcimer, riqq
Cameron Powers: oud, vocals
Meg York: clarinet, vocals
Zahara: darabuka, zarb, bendir

SPECIAL THANKS to the composers, mostly unknown to us, of these songs, and to the lineage of musicians who have kept this music alive. We especially thank our many teachers at the music and dance camps in the Mendocino Woodlands, here in Colorado, and those in Egypt, Greece, Morocco and Turkey who have opened their homes and their hearts to us. We hope our renditions please you. Generous thanks also to Kara Priest for the cover image and to our wonderfully supportive audiences.