Sindhi Soul Session
World Network (www.worldmusic.net)

Sindhi culture arose out of the Indus River Valley, in the south of what is now Pakistan. Sinds started out as Buddhists and Hindus, but were conquered by Arabs in the 700s and adapted Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, as their religion. One of the most famous Sufi singers was Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan, who was known for his powerful renditions of qawwali, or what is essentially the recitation of ecstatic religious poetry set to music. Sindhi Soul Session will take the listener further into the realms of devotion, with four different performers and their musicians. Sohrab Fakir, Mohamed Fakir, Ghous Bux Brohi, and Allah Bachayo Koso are well-known by Sindhi audiences, and are deserving of wider exposure.

The CD is a combination of instrumentals featuring various Sindhi instruments, such as the alghoza (double flute), the whinnying stringed surando, and the dholak drum, as well as distinctive qawwali vocals. The fervor of the singing and the haunting quality of the music points the listener towards the ineffable.

As a package, Sindhi Soul Session rates highly. It contains great pictures, is designed well, and the liner notes are informative, written in English, German, and French. - Rob Seiden