Brothers of the Baladi

Last updated

The Brothers of the Baladi is a American World music band based in Portland, Oregon. They play both traditional Middle Eastern music, and also combines traditional Middle Eastern and western sounds and instruments for a unique Worldbeat sound. Band leader/percussionist/vocalist Michael Beach provides lyrics in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, French, Spanish, Kurdish, Armenian and English, and the band features many traditional Middle Eastern instruments including oud, saz, mizmar, midjwiz, arghool, doumbek, riq, def, tar, bendir and davul. [1]

Contents

History

Formation of the Band

The Brothers of the Baladi was formed by band leader/percussionist/vocalist Michael Beach in Yuma, Arizona in 1975 to back up local Belly Dancer Zamara. Beach, who had fallen in love with the sounds of the Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Persian music in Zamara's collection of cassette tapes and LPs, [2] initially began accompanying the tapes on a hand drum, [3] but soon recruited Colby Girard, Joshua Mertz and Pete Walter to try to emulate the music with a mix of doumbek, bongos, dulcimer, 12-string guitar, recorder, and clarinet. [4] [5] The band got its name when, one night as Zamara was being introduced by El Hakim (Josh Mertz), he spontaneously introduced the band as "The Brothers of the Baladi." [4] [6]

A chance turn of events in 1978 found Beach and his hand drums on The Main Stage of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, performing with the world-renowned composer/conductor David Amram. This performance was a life-changing experience for Beach. Later that same year, Beach was in Santa Cruz, CA where he heard and was inspired by the widely popular Middle Eastern band, Sirocco. [7]

In 1978, Beach moved to Oregon and connected with multi-instrumentalist Joseph Pusey. Beach and Pusey resurrected the Brothers of the Baladi name to perform at a local benefit, and the band began playing regularly at The Mouse Trap in Grants Pass, Oregon. [4]

1982–1989

They released their first album, Dance with Gladness, in 1982, featuring 15 tracks comprising two full traditional belly dance routines, played on traditional instruments including saz, oud, nai, mizmar, and hand drums. [8]

This album, originally available only on tape and LP, was re-released in January 2012 on CD. [9]

The group followed up in 1983 with Food of Love, which again offered music for two full belly dance routines, and featured traditional Egyptian, Armenian, and Persian songs played on traditional instruments. [10]

The band's next album, Beyond the Tenth, was released in 1989, and included popular Arabic, Turkish, Greek, Armenian and Israeli songs sung in their native tongues, backed by traditional saz, oud, clarinet, zurna, and hand drums. [11] Sales of this album were charted as far away as New Zealand. [12]

1989–1999

Bass guitarist J. Michael Kearsey joined the band in 1989. [13] Pusey left in 1991, and Middle Eastern musicians Ishmael (kanoon) and Boujemma Razgui (oud, nay, violin and vocals) joined shortly after. [7] By this time, the band was starting to fuse Middle Eastern and western instruments and styles. In 1994, the group teamed up with Stephen Skaggs to release "Further Journeys," featuring traditional acoustic Arabic and Turkish music. [14]

In 1995, Ishmael and Razgui left the group and Beach and Kearsey were joined by Attillo (keyboards) and Multi instrumentalist Tariq Banzi (oud, guitar, nay, bouzouki, dumbek, drums and riq). Banzi would later team up with his wife, Julia Banzi, to form the Al Andalus Ensemble.

During this time, the Brothers had started to feel confined by traditional Middle Eastern music, and sought to broaden their spectrum by adding other strains of world music, including Celtic, reggae, and Afro-Cuban pop, to klezmer, Cajun, and rock. [15] The band teamed up with former Santana percussionist Michael Shrieve, who produced the Brothers' album Eye on the World, which includes Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Celtic songs, some original compositions, and a Middle Eastern stylized cover of the Rolling Stones' Paint it Black [16] that was picked up as interlude music by NPR. [17]

Heart of the Beast was released in 1998, introducing keyboard player Geoff George. This album features a cover of The Yardbirds' Over Under Sideways Down, as well as Middle Eastern, Celtic, Afro Pop, and Reggae mixes. [18]

A Time of Peace

A Time of Peace, the band's popular holiday album, followed in 1999, featuring an instrumental collection of 15 popular Christmas songs performed on kanoon, ney, oud, bouzouk, zurna, darbuka/tabla, zarb, riq, def & davul, arranged by Ishmael and Beach. [19]

2000–2008

The band hit a minor stumbling block in the wake of September 11, 2001, when several venues decided they did not want to risk hosting a Middle Eastern influenced band and cancelled their bookings. In response, the Brothers of the Baladi sponsored its own benefit concert in its home town of Portland, Oregon, with all proceeds to benefit the American Red Cross and the disaster relief effort. The event, which featured music of Armenia, Turkey, Persia, Lebanon, and Egypt, was a success, and the positive response helped the band to weather the initial negative effects. [5] Despite this, the band says it has never experienced any serious negative political attention, and has generally been considered ambassadors for peace in the Middle East by presenting the music in a way that North American people can relate to, while also being well received by Middle Eastern people who enjoy hearing the songs they grew up with. [1] [20]

In 2002, the band was joined by John Bilezikjian and Sulieman El Coyote Feldthouse of the band Kaleidoscope (US band) and Stephen Skaggs for the album Hope, which features acoustic and electric songs in English, Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian. Feldthouse performed on the Armenian folk song Laz, which is essentially the same piece as Kaleidoscope's hit Seven Ate Suite. [21]

The Brothers of the Baladi recorded Presence of the Past in 2005, in which they returned to traditional Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian styles, featuring renowned kanoon player Ishmael, Boujemma Razgui, and Skaggs, as well as Brenda Erickson, Geoff George, and Daniel Eshoo. [22]

In 2008, the band further evolved its Middle Eastern/World Music sound with the album Just Do What's Right, including covers of classic tunes by Buffalo Springfield, Chris Rea, and Neil Young. Beach provides vocals in Arabic, Persian, Spanish, French, English and the old Anglo Saxon dialect of Northern England. [23] This album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008, and served as the basis for a tour to the United Kingdom that same year. [13] [24]

2009–2016

The band continued touring in the United States and England, but in 2014 announced that they were stepping back from touring for a time to focus more on a new album. Gravity of Love was released in early 2016, and represents the band's first foray into electronic music and programming.

Recent and Current Projects

Brothers of the Baladi continues to tour in the United States and United Kingdom. In March 2016 they released their 12th album, Gravity of Love, which was nominated for the Grammy Rock Album of the Year in 2016. Their music has also been featured on NPR, TV's Lost (ABC), Sexual Healing (Showtime), and Core Culture (USA Network). TBN's documentary, "Holy Family of Egypt - Jesus in Egypt" premiered in Cairo, also features the Brothers' music. The band's music also is included in over 50 belly dance compilations. [7]

Discography

Current members

Band members are: [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Rieflin</span> American musician (1960–2020)

William Frederick Rieflin was an American musician. Rieflin came to prominence in the 1990s mainly for his work as a drummer with groups such as Ministry, the Revolting Cocks, Lard, KMFDM, Pigface, Swans, Chris Connelly, and Nine Inch Nails. He worked regularly with R.E.M. following the retirement of Bill Berry in 1997. He was a member of King Crimson from 2013 until his death in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Eastern music</span> Music of the Middle Eastern region

The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music. Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypriot music, the Turkish music of Turkey, traditional Assyrian music, Coptic ritual music in Egypt as well as other genres of Egyptian music in general. It is widely regarded that some Middle-Eastern musical styles have influenced Central Asia, as well as the Balkans and Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confide in Me</span> 1994 single by Kylie Minogue

"Confide in Me" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her self-titled fifth studio album (1994). It was released as the album's lead single on 29 August 1994 by Deconstruction, Imago, and Mushroom Records. The track was written by Steve Anderson, Dave Seaman, and Owain Barton, whilst production was handled by British trio Brothers in Rhythm. It was recorded in London, United Kingdom at DMC and Sarm West Studios. Musically, it is a pop song that incorporates elements of indie music, dance-pop, and Middle Eastern instrumentation such as strings and percussion, whilst the lyrical content talks about Minogue's earnest of seduction and manipulating people to confide into her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star Guitar</span> 2002 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Star Guitar" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the second single from their fourth album, Come with Us (2002). It reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and number one on the UK Dance Chart. The song was greeted with praise from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Dance</span> 1991 single by Genesis

"I Can't Dance" is the fourth track from English rock band Genesis's fourteenth studio album, We Can't Dance (1991), and was released in December 1991 as the second single from the album. Lyrics were composed by drummer Phil Collins; music was written collectively by the band. The song peaked at number seven on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, and also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1993. In Europe, the song reached number one in Belgium and the Netherlands, while peaking within the top five in Austria, Germany, and Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rockafeller Skank</span> 1998 single by Fatboy Slim

"The Rockafeller Skank", often referred to as "Funk Soul Brother" by fans, is a song by English big beat musician and DJ Fatboy Slim. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998), on 8 June 1998. The single peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart in June 1998 and topped the Icelandic Singles Chart for a week the same month. It was the second Fatboy Slim single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked "The Rockafeller Skank" at number 199 on their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Put Your Lights On</span> 1999 single by Santana

"Put Your Lights On" is a song by American rock band Santana and American musician Everlast from Santana's 18th studio album, Supernatural (1999). Serviced to US rock radio in August 1999, the song peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and number eight on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Put Your Lights On" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deeper Shade of Blue</span> 2000 single by Steps

"Deeper Shade of Blue" is a song by British dance-pop group Steps, released as the fourth single from their second studio album, Steptacular (1999), on 3 April 2000. The song was originally recorded by English singer-songwriter Tina Cousins, but aside from a few promotional 12-inch vinyl discs pressed in 1998, her version remains unreleased. "Deeper Shade of Blue" entered the UK Singles Chart at number four and spent one more week in the top 10 before falling down the charts. After a total of nine weeks, it left the top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5,6,7,8</span> 1997 single by Steps

"5,6,7,8" is a song by British group Steps from their debut studio album, Step One (1998). A techno-pop and country pop song written by Barry Upton and Steve Crosby and produced by Karl Twigg, Mark Topham and Pete Waterman, it was released as their debut single in November 1997 by Jive and EBUL following their formation after each group member responded to a magazine advert looking for people to audition to be in a pop band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Love Is for Real</span> 1995 single by Paula Abdul

"My Love Is for Real" is a song by American singer and songwriter Paula Abdul with backing vocals from Israeli singer Ofra Haza. It was released on May 30, 1995 by Virgin and Captive, as the first single from Abdul's third studio album, Head over Heels (1995). Intended as Abdul's comeback single, "My Love Is for Real" reached number one in Hungary and the top 20 in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, but it stalled outside the top 20 in the United States, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, and failed to make a major impact in Europe. The song's music video was directed by Michael Haussman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Say Goodbye (Paulina Rubio song)</span> 2002 single by Paulina Rubio

"Don't Say Goodbye" is a song by Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, taken from her sixth studio album and crossover album, Border Girl (2002). It was written by Joshua "Gen" Rubin and Cheryl Yie and produced by Rubin. "Don't Say Goodbye" is a dance-pop song and talks about rejecting the idea of not saying goodbye to a lover. The song was released through Universal Records on 29 April 2002 as the lead single from the album. In Latin America and France, a Spanish version of the song titled "Si Tú Te Vas" was released, written by Luis Gómez Escolar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setting Sun (The Chemical Brothers song)</span> 1996 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Setting Sun" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers featuring vocals from Noel Gallagher of Britpop band Oasis, who also co-wrote the track with duo members Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. He is not mentioned on the front cover, only in the credit list. It was released as a single on 30 September 1996 by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records from the Chemical Brothers' second album, Dig Your Own Hole (1997).

<i>Side Trips</i> 1967 studio album by The Kaleidoscope

Side Trips is the debut studio album by American band Kaleidoscope. It was released in May 1967, on Epic Records BN 26304, and re-released on vinyl by Sundazed Records (2007). The album has a raw, non-limited instrumental mentality, for each member played many instruments; for example, David Lindley played guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin, and Solomon Feldthouse played saz, bouzouki, dobro, vina, oud, doumbek, dulcimer, fiddle, guitar, and vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thinking of You (Hanson song)</span> 1998 single by Hanson

"Thinking of You" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released as the fifth and final single from the band's debut album, Middle of Nowhere (1997), on May 4, 1998. The single was a success in Australia and Finland, reaching number six in both countries, and in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, where it peaked within the top 30. "Thinking of You" was not released in the United States, but in Canada, it peaked at number 10 on the Canadian Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmine Guida</span>

Carmine T. Guida is a New York City-based, nationally recognized musician, teacher and performer. He is also a programmer and creator of online games and apps.

John Bilezikjian was an Armenian-American musician and composer. Most renowned as an oud master, he also played the violin, mandolin and dumbek. He was also a traditional and contemporary singer singing in Armenian, but also in Turkish, Assyrian/Syriac, English and known for his contributions to world music as a solo act and in collaborations with renowned artists. He established his own record company, Dantz Records in Laguna Hills, California making many recordings, and appearing in tens of film soundtracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivy discography</span>

American band Ivy has released six studio albums, one extended play (EP), fifteen singles, one promotional single, and eight music videos. After signing to Seed Records, Ivy released their debut EP, Lately, in May 1994. Their debut studio album Realistic was released in February 1995 and produced the singles "Get Enough" and "Don't Believe a Word", along with "Beautiful", which was issued as a promotional single. In 1995, a music video for "I Hate December", a song from Lately, was filmed and released. The song was then distributed as a single in January 1996. Ivy eventually left Seed and signed to Atlantic Records to record their second album Apartment Life, released in October 1997. To promote the album, "The Best Thing", "I've Got a Feeling", "This Is the Day", and "You Don't Know Anything" were made available as singles. Their third album Long Distance was released in Japan in 2000, and the next year in the United States. Three singles were promoted, including "Edge of the Ocean" which peaked at number 160 on the UK Singles Chart, marking their only appearance on that chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me Away (Babble song)</span> 1994 single by Babble

"Take Me Away" is a song from British-New Zealand electronic dance music group Babble, which was released in 1994 as the lead single from their debut studio album The Stone. The song was written and produced by Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey. It reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play chart.

References

  1. 1 2 Peters, Rob (2005-07-27). "Brothers of the Baladi: Middle East meets West". The Richmond News. p. 23.
  2. ↑ "Brothers of the Baladi". Thrust. 1 (4): 3–4. April 1994.
  3. ↑ Naftaly, Stanley (2007-07-20). "Mid East Indie". Music Scene. p. 12.
  4. 1 2 3 Serqet (July 2005). "Brothers of the Baladi". The Chronicles. 3 (3): 2.
  5. 1 2 Levy, Shawn (11 March 2011). "Band holds Night of Love". The Sunday Oregonian. p. E2.
  6. ↑ Daigle, Rachel (2007-08-22). "Baladi Brothers, Aug. 24, The Bouquet". Boise Weekly. p. 26.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Brothers of the Baladi - About". Brothers of the Baladi. Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  8. ↑ Dance With Gladness (Media notes). Brothers of the Baladi. 1982. Baladi Productions.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Allegro Music. "Dance with Gladness". Brothers of the Baladi Discography. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  10. ↑ Food of Love (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 1983. BLD02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Beyond the Tenth (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 1989. BLD03.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Attilo (1989-05-15). "Brothers of the Baladi Cross Cultures". Downtown Portland Nightlife. p. 22.
  13. 1 2 "Brothers of the Baladi". Dynamic Artists. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  14. ↑ Further Journeys (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 1994. BLD04.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ Roos, John (1998-06-27). "It Started With a Belly Dance". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ↑ Eye on the World (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Portland, Oregon: Brothers of the Baladi. 1995. 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ Sauro, Tony (2009-07-30). "American immerses himself in exotic sounds of brothers of the baladi". Recordnet.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  18. ↑ Heart of the Beast (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 1998. BLD06.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ A Time of Peace (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 1999. BLD07.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "Brothers of the Baladi". Willamette Week. 2008-04-23. p. 35.
  21. ↑ Hope (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 2002. BLD08.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ Presence of the Past (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 2005. BLD10.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ↑ Just Do What's Right (CD Liner). Brothers of the Baladi. Brothers of the Baladi. 2008. BLD11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ↑ Mitchell, Barbara (2008-04-22). "Brothers of the Baladi". Portland Tribune. p. B2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.