Omar Souleyman November 1, 2011

Syrian musical legend Omar Souleyman has become a huge crossover sensation, collaborating with Björk in 2010 and playing major festivals including Bonnaroo this past summer. His fervent music blends classical Arabic vocalization with Syrian folk and party music, mixing Kurdish, Turkish and Iraqi strains for good measure. Then he propels all of it into the 21st century by singing over synthesized keyboards and frenetic percussion. The music is greatly enriched by oud, reeds and a thin-necked lute-like instrument called a baglama saz. The result is an ancient/modern fusion as haunting as it is infectious.

Official Website: http://www.worldmusic.org/omar-souleyman-0-898