Jon Balke – Nahnou Houm, Siwan | ECM Records

Jon Balke Nahnou Houm Siwan Mona Boutchebak: vocals, oud Jon Balke: piano, keyboards, percussion Derya Turkan: kamanche Pedram Khavar Zamini: tombak Helga Norbakken: percussion Bjarte Eike: baroque violin Alison Luthmers: violin Øivind Nussle: violin Milos Valent: viola Per Buhre: viola Torbjørn Köhl: viola Judith Maria Blomsterberg: cello Mime Brinkmann: cello Johannes Lundberg: bass +++++ Get the CD: http://bit.ly/2yIzIvz +++++ iTunes: http://bit.ly/2yLAOV1 Their ECM debut, released in 2009, won awards including the Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the album of the year prize of the German record critics. Now Siwan, the international collective led by Norwegian keyboardist-composer-arranger Jon Balke, is back, rallying its powerful instrumental forces behind a new lead singer, Mona Boutchebak from Algeria. Perceived correspondences between Arabic music, Andalusian classical music and European baroque music fired Jon Balke’s imagination when he started this project a decade ago. To bring these sound worlds closer together he set poetry of Al Andalus, reflecting upon a period of coexistence between adherents of the three great religions. But Siwan does not set out to be an “historical” project: it’s a contemporary creation, delivered by an alliance of strongly individual players, fronted by a vocalist deeply rooted in Arab music traditions. The new album is launched as Siwan begins a European tour. ECM 2572 Website: https://www.ecmrecords.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecmrecords Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecm_records