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Accordion Music With An Eastern Touch

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The Sounds Of Taraab explored the Swahili musical culture of the East African coast which can be described as a delightful blend of African, Arabic & Indian musical styles.

The group featured Ismail Butera on accordion & vocals, the voice of Sudanese vocalist Alsarah, oud virtuoso Haig Manoukian, Michael Hess on violin & nai flute, Nicole LeCorgne on dumbek & frame drum along with Tiye Giraud playing shekere & varied percussion and Sajel Kukadia, tabla


 

Mahaba Wa Taka Nini
 

Eni Wana Damu

Rufiji   
Original Composition

Mapenzi Matamu    Vocal, Tiye Giraud

Daka Kozi Manowe

Sishituki

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In memoriam, oud master Haig Manoukian 

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Taksim Hijaz
A La Turca Improvisation 

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Bogomila was a trio I formed with clarinetist George Stathos & Seido Salifoski on dumbek, collaborating with vocalist Annette Ezekiel. We performed the Balkan cafe music of several ethnic communities from southeastern Europe. The group brought me back to the 70's when this kind of music could be heard wafting from the doors and windows of the once many restaurants and nightclubs from the region that were popular back then. Fun times!

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Hatidze
Bosnian popular song about a beautiful dark haired girl

Djelem Djelem 
Cafe song immortalized by Saban Bajramovic

Jingo Jingo 
Song named for a guy who buys a nice new car popularized by singer Muharem Serbezovski

Romano Horo 
Joyous dancing of the Romany people popularized
by the great Esma Redzepova  of the former Yugoslavia

Karroon Karoon

Armenian Folk Song Vocal, Deborah Karpel

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Photo, Les Gold

Stoyana Stanka Na Dumashe
Macedo-Bulgarian Ballad

More Sokol Pije

A hawk drinks from the Vardar, a river in northern Macedonia

Karagouna
Greek folk song typical of the style of  the northern Greece/Albanian border area known as Epirus

Ochi Chornya
Russian Folk Song   Vocal, Deborah Karpel

Land Of A Thousand Lakes
Music Of  Old Prussia

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