Tenor Karim Sulayman and guitarist Sean Shibe present Broken Branches, a conceptual album with music ranging from Dowland, Monteverdi, Britten, Rodrigo, Takemitsu, Harvey, and Chaker to traditional songs from the Middle East, scrutinizing the close cultural and musical ties between East and West. This musical exploration ties in with the artists’ personal experience of a dynamic, in-between identity, as they grew up in the West having ethnic roots in the East (Lebanon and Japan respectively). Broken Branches explores the wood of the guitar and its relatives, as well as the splintering of history known as diaspora.
This sensuous and poignant release by pianist Karim Shehata, his second album on the GENUIN label, is more than just a prelude: it is a collection whose pieces flow into each other, comment, prelude and postlude so seamlessly that, without the booklet, it is hard to believe that these are exclusively preludes - pieces conceived as preparation for something essential. The list of composers is a "Who is Who" ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Olivier Messiaen. The young and yet already mature Karim Shehata plays all this with such ease and depth that one would like to rank him among the greats! Absolutely recommendable.
Karim Said’s second album follows his critically acclaimed debut recording for the Opus Arte label ‘Echoes from an Empire’ . ‘Superbly executed’ said Gramophone of this recital of Berg, Bartok, Janacek, Webern, Enescu & Schoenberg. Wonderfully fullblooded’ said The Guardian.
Karim Maurice, Will Galison, and string orchestra La Camerata present Odysseus Fantasy, an album supported by the French American Jazz Exchange (FAJE). This fascinating collaboration was inspired by one of the most celebrated of all literary works, Homer’s Odyssey. Musical polymath Karim Maurice’s dreamlike original compositions are based on the epic tale of Ulysses, resulting in a soundworld of freshness and depth. The composer, who also plays piano on the album, is joined by world-renowned harmonica-player Will Galison, who was described by harmonica master Toots Thielemans as "the most original and individual of the new generation of harmonica players". The line-up is completed by versatile string orchestra La Camerata under the direction of violinist-conductor, Gaël Rassaert.
Lebanese-American tenor Karim Sulayman’s neat encapsulation of the Orpheus myth infuses his solo recording debut, ‘Songs of Orpheus.’ Orpheus, the greatest singer of all time, famously followed his deceased beloved Eurydice to the gates of Hades in an attempt to bring her back to life. He was thwarted by the gods who forbade him to gaze at her during their journey back to earth. he could not resist, and the tale has been told in numerous musical interpretations including those of Monteverdi and his 17th-century compatriots who are represented on this imaginative album, performed with leading baroque interpreters Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire. Acclaim for Karim Sulayman and Apollo’s Fire has been widespread: “the soloists and instrumentalists are first class” (BBC Music Magazine) “an absorbing collection of early music, beautifully performed by the Cleveland-based instrumental-choral ensemble and vocal soloists” (Chicago Tribune).