Master Bandsmen of the Ottoman Empire

This summer I finished a feature article for Saudi Aramco World Magazine on the Mehter Musicians of the Ottoman Empire. Inspired by a book on the subject written by a Boston-based musician, Mehmet Sanlikol, I endeavored to treat this subject in a manner that would appeal to a general audience that didn't have knowledge of Turkish or Middle Eastern music. It was fun to write - took many hours of research and interviews. But amazingly I was able to do it all from Boston because my subjects were all within the greater Boston area. That in itself is a testament to how culturally rich Boston is. That's a cliche perhaps, but it's also true. We are blessed to live in such a rich treasure trove filled with all kinds of artists and thinkers. For more information on Dunya, the group that sponsors a Mehter band in Boston, visit Dunya's website

You can link to my story in Saudi Aramco World here.

I've pasted in my favorite photograph from the article - caption below.

Caption: This young visitor to the Turkish Military Museum’s regular mehter heritage performance in Istanbul might agree with the Prussian soldier who, in the early 1700’s, complained that the mehter band “split the ears with its incredible charivari.”

Here are more Mehter audio links you can listen to and purchase:

1. Taqsim (Improvisation) in Maqam of Bayati: Listen
2. Pesrev in Maqam of Nakriz (processional instrumental): listen
3. Ey Gaziler: Listen
4. Cengi-i-Harbi: Cymbals of War: Link

Enjoy!

Eduardo Paniagua and the Music of al-Andalus

One of the projects that occupied me this last winter and spring was writing a profile of the musician and producer, Eduardo Paniagua of Madrid. It just came out in the July-August Saudi Aramco World Magazine. This story was quite an adventure, and it opened my eyes to many things, and brought me to Spain for the first time. Eduardo Paniagua is possibly coming to New York to perform this September at the World Music Institute. I'll follow up with details if he's coming.

Here's the link to the story:  Listening for Al-Andalus

Croissants with Za'atar

Today I should be posting about yesterday's fabulous and inspiring first ever Boston Book Festival. And I will, but it needs to sink into my brain further and distill a bit longer.

Meanwhile, all I can think about is croissants with za'atar. Flash back to a trip to Saudi Arabia with photographer Nicole LeCorgne in 2006, while we were on assignment for Saudi Aramco World Magazine. We usually had breakfast in our hotel room so we could eat while getting ready and checking e-mail. We fell in love with the exquisite combination of croissants filled with za'atar that had been moistened with olive oil. It came as part of the 'oriental breakfast' - consisting of these croissants, sometimes mana'ish (za'atar on flat bread), as well as a salad of cucumber, tomatoes and olive oil. Of course very fresh orange juice and marvelous coffee.

Za'atar is a combination of wild thyme, sesame seeds, salt and sour ground sumac. You can buy it in Middle Eastern delis. It has a lemony and spicy taste that makes your tongue squirm with delight. And with the delicate pastry layers of a buttery croissant, it's pure heaven, especially if you wash it down with a sip of Arabic coffee.

To replicate the experience, buy the inexpensive Pillsbury croissants in the tube in the grocery store. Mix up some za'atar and olive oil in a bowl, probably three tablespoons each. Then put a generous dab of the mixure on the wide end of each croissant before rolling it up. Ten minutes later, voila, your taste buds are doing a riotous dabke dance. You can also add za'atar and olive oil to popovers.