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Marcel Khalife
Taqasim
(Nagam)
Douglas Heselgrave's #3 album for 2007
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2007, Volume 14, #12
Written by Douglas Heselgrave
Tue December 11, 2007, 07:20 AM CST
Taqasim, the latest release from Lebanese composer and oud master
Marcel Khalife, is one of those rare recordings of world music that is destined
to become an enduring classic around the globe. Transcending musical and
cultural boundaries, each of its three lengthy compositions will be appreciated
immediately by jazz and acoustic music fans everywhere. In Khalife’s hands, the
Arabic lute or oud reaches a level of expression that quite literally leaves
listeners gasping in disbelief. This is an album for the ages that is every bit
the equal of anything that has been recorded in the past decade.
To compare Khalife’s playing with Ravi Shankar, Stephane Grappelli, and, at
his most intuitive and free flowing, Jerry Garcia may seem hyperbolic. In truth,
however, there are no recent parallels to the fluidity, grace, and power of
Khalife’s fretwork on Taqasim. Every note and phrase emitted from his oud
forces a person to reach for superlatives, but none of them do Khalife’s playing
justice. It is perfect, and like the best music from anywhere, it is simply
beyond words. It is hard to conceive that there is a better string player alive
in the world today than Marcel Khalife.
In addition to being a musician without a peer, Khalife is a peace activist
who risked his life in the 1970s by performing in devastated Lebanese concert
halls during his homeland’s civil war. Last August, in response to Israel’s
bombing of his country, he made the following statement in a letter to fellow
UNESCO Artists for Peace: "Nothing justifies our art other than to speak for
those who cannot speak. We have vowed to release our work as songs of love for,
and unity with, the victims of persecution everywhere." Ironically, this
peace-loving musician encountered persecution himself during his last North
American tour. Though most of his dates in Canada and the U.S. were without
incident, his concert in San Diego was cancelled due to Khalife’s nationality
and Islamic background. This was not the first time that ignorance of the
breadth of Middle Eastern music and cultural expression — and an unfortunate
tendency to be suspicious of artists from the Arabic world — has deprived
audiences from experiencing the sublime playing of one of the best musicians
alive today.
Tolerance is, of course, a double-edged sword, and Khalife’s tendency to
operate outside the boundaries of traditional music also has resulted in the
cancellation of his concerts in the Middle East. This was the case earlier this
year when a performance of a composition based on an old, Arabic love story was
banned in Bahrain due to the perceived sexual nature of the work.
Born in Amchit and educated in Beirut at the National Conservatory of Music,
Khalife has been teaching oud and recording albums of his own compositions since
1975. His decision to write music for Lebanese dance artists has been crucial to
the creation of new forms of Eastern ballet, including those that were pioneered
by companies like Caracalla and the Sarab Ensemble. In addition to this work as
well as the creation of more than 20 albums of his own avant-garde music for oud
and Western instruments, Khalife has composed soundtracks for feature films and
documentaries. He also has written several symphonic pieces that have been
performed by outfits as diverse as the Kiev Symphony and the San Francisco
Chamber Orchestra. To round out his already considerable achievements, Khalife
has penned several books about music theory that reflect the depth and breadth
of his vision.
What distinguishes Khalife’s output from many other artists playing within
the framework of Arabic culture is that his compositions are instrumental, and
they do not rely on vocals or traditional song structures. He often bases his
material on Arabic tunes from the early 20th Century. Similarly, the
works of Egyptian poet Sayyed Darweesh have been a particularly important source
of inspiration for Khalife. On Taqasim, however, rather than writing
musical settings for Darweesh’s poems, Khalife uses the moods and insinuations
of Darweesh’s writings as his motivation. The result is that Taqasim is
an album that can be judged strictly on its musical merits because Khalife did
not force prospective fans to contend with the complexities of Arabic song
structure. Consequently, he has re-envisioned the very nature of Arabic song; he
has broken its stereotypes and provided a context for his music that should
allow listeners to experience it free of prejudice and preconception.
The music on Taqasim is very listener-friendly. Essentially it is a
series of duets between the oud and the upright bass, with only a modicum of
supportive percussion. Each of the three compositions on the album is a journey
through several moods and inflections that should be familiar to fans of John
McLaughlin and Jerry Garcia. Indeed, some of the late Grateful Dead guitarist’s
collaborations with David Grisman share similar musical sensibilities with the
compositions featured on Taqasim. As ever, comparisons can be dangerous
and misleading, so it is best to take the plunge and experience Khalife’s work
on its own glorious terms.
Taqasim is quite unlike any other album released and widely available in
the Western world, and it should challenge, delight, and beguile listeners for
years to come. One would be hard-pressed to choose a better instrumental outing
for companionship as the days grow shorter and the nights extend well into the
morning. Simultaneously dark, moody, and elevating, Taqasim is the
perfect companion for contemplative winter nights spent sitting in front of the
fire. It is essential and highly recommended. 
Taqasim is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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