Arabian Music from Morocco

There's little doubt that Rachid Halihal is a very talented musician. On this CD he's a virtual one-man band, singing, playing oud, violin, and percussion, completely replicating a small Arabic ensemble. Although a resident of the U.S., he grew up in the Fez region of Morocco and fully absorbed its music. The mostly traditional material (the exception is the closer, "Rassael Al'ageran," a solo oud piece) is deliberately light, made up of love songs, superbly arranged and performed, as Halihal not only layers instruments, but also lead and the chorus of backing vocals. His violin playing in particular is outstanding, notably on the ending of "L'attar," but he's no slouch anywhere else, either, a persuasive, melodious singer and a very articulate, active oudist (listen to the subtlety he uses on "Ana Dene Den Allah," for instance, where the line shadows the voice and works around it). An excellent CD of Moroccan music that goes beyond Gnawa to present the real folk sound.