Danûk, a group of exiled Middle Eastern musicians come together on Morîk to reignite a shared consciousness of the value of homeland through the rediscovery of centuries-old sounds. Danûk manifests archived phonograph recordings of Kurdish folklore and wedding songs that have been preserved in wax cylinders and discs for more than a hundred years in The Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv and The Phonogrammarchiv of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, into phenomenal auditory icons of profound cultural heritage and identity. The album was produced by Michael League (Snarky Puppy) with the support of the British Arts Council, in 5-time Grammy Award-winning League's Studio 20.
Morîk, released via Omni Sound is a flawless, rhythmic homage that resurrects a treasured past at the axis of the present and future. Made by Austrian and German explorers at the start of the 20th century, sounds of a Syrian priest singing in Jerusalem (“Axir Zemana” , “Lo Lo Li Mino”) Kurdish shepherds’ songs, and locals singing Kurdish folklore in Sendshirli excavated sites (present-day Turkey) (“Xelîlo Lawo”, “Lê Lê Mi Go”), are recomposed, giving new life to the aural aesthetics of a multicultural time and place. Four songs adapted from the wax cylinder and disc recordings and five traditional Kurdish folklore and wedding songs (“De Çêkin”, “Finciko”, “Şewqo”, “Girê Sîra”, “Lo Şivano”) transmit an aural experience of inflexible symbolism. Morîk, meaning pearl, resonates with the band’s discovery of light and meaning from what might have been forgotten.
Credits:
Producer: Michael League
Recording engineer: Michael League
Mixing: Michael League Mastering: Grant Livesay
Composer: Anonymous Arrangement: Michael League & Danûk
Cover Art: Zeycan Alkış
Graphic Design: Ulaş Eryavuz
Archival Music Research by Maria del Mar Marais
Recording Musicians:
Ferhad Feyssal: Vocals
Hozan Peyal: Buzuki, Electric Saz
Tarik Aslan: Def, Bendir, Dahol, Darbuka, Raq, Bombo Legüero, Vocals
Yazan Ibrahim: Flamenco Guitar, Electric Guitar
Ronas Sheikhmous: Bilur, Mey, Zurna
Michael League: Acoustic bass guitar, Def
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