Liman: For Whom?

(1990)

This is our first release. It was on cassette.

After numerous requests, we hope to eventually re-release it in CD format.

Keep checking back for a release schedule update.

The cover art of "Liman: For Whom?" is a watercolor painting by Tarik Banzi. You can see more of his paintings and artwork here. The painting was recently used by Freemuse (Freedom of Musical Expression) for an interestring article written by Ole Reitov regarding the debate in music and Islam. You can read the article here.

The painting actually depicts a real musical practice among certain Sufi's in Morocco. In this Sufi context, the musician is seen as a vehicle through which the spirit moves... that is a conductor of the spirit, unimportant in himself/herself. Tarik painted a whole group of these musicians (oud, ney, violin).

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For us, the painting and the practice it symbolizes holds real meaning for us--we are only vehicles for the spirit moves, and we feel connected... we try to connect our audiences to that feeling.

Well, what about the music.....

Liman: For Whom? has a number of pieces that we often play live such as Granadina, Laberiento, Zawia... the music was recorded when the pieces were still newly composed. In fact, Tarik laid down all the oud parts in a single afternoon. The playing is very 'live.' We recorded Liman in Portland studio which was called 'Lo Tech.' That should give you an idea of the quality of the recording, it is not very good and for this reason we have hesitated so long in re-releasing it. However, longtime fans of ours continue to stay the playing on Liman is what counts and many swear its our best recording we have ever done and want us to release it on CD (their cassettes are wearing out after all these years.

Just weeks after we released Liman, we went to Madrid for a series of concerts. We gave the cassette to many of our friends there who are musicians as well as in the music business. Liman is the first documented use of the oudu in flamenco. There were many production things we did in Liman that were later emulated by the new flamencos.

While we are at it, to set the record straight. Tarik Banzi is the first to bring the darbuka into flamenco. In fact, he was publisized at several events as "Tarik Darbuka" because at the time in Spain "darbuka" sounded about as much like a last name as "Banzi." What a change now where one can go to the Corte' Ingles (big Spanish dept. store) and purchase your own darbuka and case. How times have changed!

Now, whether or not adding the darbuka or the oudu to the new flamenco sound is good in others hands is debateable. As a guitarist who loves to accompany dance, I've been seeing alot of groups who now routenly perform with cajon or darbuka. I personally don't often like it. I feel that unless carefully guided and controlled, the cajon/darbuka interfear with the dancer's footwork plays between sound and silence. I guess I remain a traditionalist in this sense.

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