Concerto of the Greater Sea
Joseph Tawadros, oud, Australian Chamber OrchestraClassical, Middle Eastern, New Music
ABC Classics 476 4745
Reviewed by Peter Winkler, October 3rd, 2014
Joseph Tawadros is Australia’s leading exponent of the oud. For readers unfamiliar with this beautiful instrument it is a pear-shaped lute used traditionally in North African and Middle Eastern music. The oud and lute are descended from a common ancestor and are in turn the ancestors of the guitar. The enrichment of Australia’s culture and… continue reading »
Permission to Evaporate
Joseph Tawadros, with Christian McBride, James Tawadros, Matt McMahon, Mike SternJazz, Middle Eastern, World
ABC Music 481 0917
www.josephtawardros.com
Reviewed by Peter Winkler, July 1st, 2014
Joseph Tawadros is prolific and adventurous. He is Australia’s leading exponent of the oud, a North African and Middle Eastern lute. He is also a trailblazer in cross-cultural music collaboration and a two-time ARIA Award winner for Best World Music Album. Permission To Evaporate was recorded in New York in just two days in February… continue reading »

Daramad
Post by D L Lewis, April 1st, 2014
This beautifully presented CD explores a fusion of traditional Middle Eastern music, Eastern European music, Asian music and a soupcon (maybe a little more) of western jazz. Daramad are, let’s get this out of the way, musicians of skill and nuance. Western instruments such as the guitar and clarinet mix beautifully with ‘world’ instruments such… continue reading »

Dakshin Khun (Southern Man)
Post by D L Lewis, April 1st, 2014
This is one of the most evocative albums I’ve heard this year. The opening track, Altain Magdal evokes that area of Asia stretching from Nepal to China. It will be a challenging album for some: the vocals are Mongolian throat singing – a guttural, seemingly toneless sound, with a remarkable range. However, we hear a… continue reading »