5099923454521
4047179165112

Give Me Love: Songs Of The Brokenhearted - Baghdad 1925-1929

Various Artists

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Format: CD

Cat No: HJRCD35

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Release Date:  05 January 2009

Label:  Honest Jon's Records

Packaging Type:  Jewel Case

No of Units:  1

Barcode:  5099923454521

Genres:  World Music  

Release Date:  05 January 2009

Label:  Honest Jon's Records

Packaging Type:  Gate Fold Vinyl

No of Units:  2

Barcode:  4047179165112

Genres:  World Music  

  • Description

    In the mid-1920s The Gramophone Company — soon before it became EMI — employed two or three Europeans to criss-cross Iraq. They logged regional demographics, assessed the German competition, and checked out the scores of record shops and hundreds of musical venues. In Kerbala its man fearfully disguised himself as an Arab.

    This was the groundwork for three sessions, conducted in Baghdad in the second half of the decade, which produced nearly one thousand recordings. Business was good — the first group of records, though deemed aesthetically unsuccessful by the Company, immediately produced twelve thousand sales to just two outlets in the city.

    'Give Me Love' is second in Honest Jon's excellent series of albums exploring the 78s held in the EMI Archive at Hayes. Drawing on the full range of these Baghdad recordings, it is a wondrous, deeply poignant glimpse of social living since obliterated, in which ethnicities, faiths and traditions appear woven richly and meltingly together, however precariously.

    There is dance music featuring Arab folk singers from the countryside, backed by professional Jewish musicians in Iraqi styles popularly termed 'Egyptian', and perfected in nightclubs where the first duty of the secular women singers on this album was prostititution.

    Also including some Arabic word-play, in a nod to the musical form of the Arabic mawwal, a Hebrew hymn is kick-started with a cry of 'Allah!', most likely from one of the Jewish performers.

    There are pieces from Bahrain and Kuwait; sometimes mixed together in one performance, the different dialects are far-flung. There are beautiful high and lonesome Kurdish violin improvisations; and some unaccompanied circular breathing on a zourna so unearthly it seems to cross late Coltrane with Sun Ra. All the songs are characterised by searing emotion and crisis of feeling; many by erotic urgency.

    As with the other titles in the series, the recordings have been startlingly restored at Abbey Road; and they are presented with full translations, rare photographs (in this case, several performers), and notes — including an extensive interview with a citizen of Baghdad throughout this period, who knew many of the musicians here personally.

    Description

    In the mid-1920s The Gramophone Company employed two or three Europeans to criss-cross Iraq. They logged regional demographics, assessed the German competition, and checked out the scores of record shops and hundreds of musical venues. In Kerbala its man fearfully disguised himself as an Arab.

    This was the groundwork for three sessions, conducted in Baghdad in the second half of the decade, which produced nearly one thousand recordings — and drawing on their full range, Give Me Love is a wondrous, deeply poignant glimpse of social living since obliterated, in which ethnicities, faiths and traditions appear woven richly and meltingly together, however precariously.

    There is dance music featuring Arab folk singers from the countryside, backed by professional Jewish musicians in Iraqi styles popularly termed 'Egyptian', and perfected in nightclubs where the first duty of the secular women singers on this album was prostititution. A Hebrew hymn is kick-started with a cry of 'Allah!', most likely from one of the Jewish performers. There are beautiful high and lonesome Kurdish violin improvisations; and some unaccompanied circular breathing on a zourna so unearthly it seems to cross late Coltrane with Sun Ra. All the songs are characterised by searing emotion and crises of feeling; many by erotic urgency.

    Startlingly restored at Abbey Road; with full translations and notes — including an extensive interview with a citizen of Baghdad throughout this period, who knew many of the musicians here personally.

  • Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Ya Yumma Weya Baba-Mulla Abdussaheb
      • 2. Min Fergetak Lilyom-Sayed Abbood
      • 3. Soubhanak Allah-Dahi Ben Walid
      • 4. Khouthni Bthemmetak-Sultana Youssef
      • 5. Abuthiyya-Salim Daoud
      • 6. Taqsim-Khedayer Bin Kessab
      • 7. Anouh Izal Hathy-Mulla Seoud El Koweity
      • 8. Kassem Miro-Said El Kurdi
      • 9. Wehak El Kab Walkossein-Siddiqa El Mullaya
      • 10. Fahasboukom Hatha-Hdhairy Abou Aziz
      • 11. Taqsim-Kemani Noubar
      • 12. Lega Taresh Habibi-Badria Anwar
      • 13. Aman Aman Zakko-Said El Kurdi
      • 14. Ma Tehenn Alayya-Siddiqa El Mullaya
      • 15. Shlon Aslak-Sayed Abbood
      • 16. Taqsim-Kementchedji Alecco
      • 17. Abney Eqdah - Part 1-Salim Daoud
      • 18. Abney Eqdah - Part 2-Salim Daoud
      • 19. Wenini-Hdhairy Abou Aziz
      • 20. Malek Ana-Sultana Youssef
      • 21. Ahis Ras Eddelil-Badria Anwar
      • 22. Taqsim-Saleh Ibrahim

    Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Ya Yumma Weya Baba
      • 2. Min Fergetak Lilyom
      • 3. Soubhanak Allah
      • 4. Khouthni Bthemmetak
      • 5. Abuthiyya
      • 6. Taqsim

      Side 2

      • 1. Anouh Ithal Hathy
      • 2. Kassem Miro
      • 3. Wehak El Kab Walkossein
      • 4. Fahasboukom Hatha
      • 5. Taqsim

      Disc 2

      Side 1

      • 1. Lega Taresh Habibi
      • 2. Aman Aman Zakko
      • 3. Ma Tehenn Alayya
      • 4. Shlon Aslak
      • 5. Taqsim

      Side 2

      • 1. Abney Eqdah - Part 1
      • 2. Abney Eqdah - Part 2
      • 3. Wenini
      • 4. Malek Ana
      • 5. Ahis Ras Eddelil
      • 6. Taqsim