Azam Ali

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:49 pm

Some terrific videos I found of Persian-Indian singer and dancer Azam Ali.
The first is as part of the duo Vas and the next two are as part of Niyaz.

Promise (not sure?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW6bfbuHiBI

Allah i allah (Urdu)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb8_l62GhWc

The Hunt (Persian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqfsoOYRmLk

SWITZ · Post by **SWITZ** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:57 am

What a beautiful voice....she is truely poetry in motion.
How did you find her Kush?

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:47 am

"Terrific" ~ Now there's an understatement.

I knew this would be her essence... yet, still, Azam Ali takes beauty to a whole new level with everything about her. Stunning, exquisite, sublime.

It's interesting for me trying to watch this tonite, as my computer is so unbelievably slow, the scenes and the movements change in mere increments. I am really looking forward to watching this tomorrow, when I can listen to it, as well.

Unbelievable

. Womanly beauty. Poetry in motion, indeed, Switz.

Thanks for posting it, Kush.

~ Lizzy

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:59 pm

I first heard her recent Niyaz CD at Borders listening station. The CD is great but with a little too much electronica in the production. The same songs are multiple times better in the live versions i found on youtube.

Everything is very intricate about her. From the timbre of her voice to her movements to her body art. In the first video she is like a seductress come to tempt some ancient king into breaking his meditation in the forest. Indian mythology is replete with stories like this.

Yeah she is truly poetry in motion. And she is very versatile. I plan on getting her solo CD 'Portals of Grace' in which she sings medieval age European melodies in mezzo-soprano.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:46 pm

Unfortunately, I was too busy yesterday with multiple tasks that I still haven't been able to watch her properly, or hear her, at all ~ and are you saying she has a classically-trained voice, as well... or that that's her natural range?

She's really amazing. She doesn't need electronica, at all... natural, world music would do her the greatest justice.

~ Lizzy

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:07 pm

She sings in different styles in different albums.....In the Portals of Grace album (for which I have heard brief clips) she definitely sings in a classical western vocal range.
In the Niyaz CD the Urdu songs (or the Urdu verses in bilingual songs) she sings in a slightly higher range (but lower than western classical) which is more natural to Indian vocals. In the Persian verses her voice assumes a little lower throaty (very fine distinction) range which is more natural to that region.
I have no idea what language the first video (Promise) is in but it may be some ancient language which is not used anymore.

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 3:39 am

Exquisite. What's Promise about? She sounds like Loreena McKennitt

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:13 pm

I havent a clue. But the visuals can let your imagination run in all sorts of directions.

She also does not move very much in the video but seems to be continuously in motion. Poetry in motion and perpetual motion standing.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:04 pm

At last

! Listening to them all now, before anything else interferes

.

These pieces really appeal to the ancient in all of us

.

Exquisite is right, Lightning... not just Azam, her beauty, her voice, her dance, her energy, and her essence; but the instruments and instrumentation, as well.

Thanks, again, Kush. She's extremely talented, in ways that you can pick out better than I, with the different, characteristic voicings. Thanks for pointing that out, Kush.

~ Lizzy

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 5:23 pm

I bought Portals of Grace last weekend and its an amazing and unique album. Actually I ended up buying it twice....my first copy lasted all of 6 and a half minutes (the length of the first song)...a friend of mine was visiting from the Caribbean and 6.5 minutes was enough to convince him he needed to take it back with him

.

Although sung in a more or less classical/new age mode it has a very timeless and universal feel to it. It is dedicated in part to
"the women of Afghanistan, Iran and elsewhere in the middle east who are the first victims of fanaticism and intolerance."
Part of the proceeds of the album go to RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan).

The song list is very eclectic....and there are extensive liner notes with a little history of each of the songs.

1. Lasse pour quoi (Anon. early 14th century, French Provencal)
2. La Serena (Sephardic, Judeo-Spanish)
3. Breton Medley (Instrumental, Britanny)
4. O Felix (12th century, Latin)
5. Ben Pode Santa Maria (13th century, Galician-Portuguese)
6. O Quanta Qualia (12th century, Latin)
7. Sackpipslat (Instrumental, Sweden)
8. Aj Ondas (early 14th century, Galician)
9. A Chantar m'er (late 12th century, French Provencal)
10. Inna-l-Malak (Byzantine, Arabic)
11. El Rey de Francia (Sephardic, Judeo-Spanish)

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:50 pm

Thanks for this info Kush, I am thinking of getting Portals of Grace now. The track listing reminded me of another album I have been meaning to get for a while which is Cantos Sefardies by Soledad Bravo (1980). All I have heard of Soledad Bravo is a collection of Venezuelan folk songs which I have had since the 70s but I always thought she had a very evocative voice and I see she has covered a range of genres since. Maybe worth looking into if you haven't heard her.

http://www.lastcallrecords.com/biograph ... bravo.html

Polo margariteño (El cantar tiene sentido)

El cantar tiene sentido,
el cantar tiene sentido
entendimiento y razón
La buena pronunciación
la buena pronunciación
del instrumento al oído

Mira ese lirio, que el tiempo lo consume,
hay una fuente que lo hace florecer.
Tú eres el lirio, ay dame tu perfume
que yo soy la fuente, ay dejame correr.
La garza prisionera no canta cual solía
cantar en el espacio y en el dormido mar.
Su canto entre cadenas es canto de agonia,
¿Porque te empeñas pues Señor su canto en prolongar?

¿Qué hago yo solo en el campo,
qué hago yo solo en el campo,
qué hago yo en el campo solo?
Yo no enamoro ni canto
yo no enamoro ni canto
yo no canto ni enamoro

Suspira la brisa suspirando lejos
y abre el capullo da una blanca rosa.
Sale el gusano de su prisión de seda
Y se convierte en linda mariposa
El cantar tiene sentido
el cantar tiene sentido
entendimiento y razón.

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:25 pm

Thanks for the tip Sue. I'll keep an eye out for her recordings...I also mean to check out Gillian Welch who Bobbie recommended. But these are busy days...I wish I could clone myself....one to listen to music and the other to get on with the business of living life.