Sounds of Mirrors – a journey through time

Dhafer Youssef was previously introduced here with a completely different project – Diwan of beauty and odd, recorded in New York. 
His new album, Sounds of Mirrors (Anteprima 2018) instantly brings me back to his Istanbul concert from the summer of 2012, in the courtyard of the archaeological museum, in the company of Husnu Senlendirici on the clarinet and Aytac Dogan on the kanun. Why you might ask? Because there are plays that were set in stone even back then. Because the magic of the oud-clarinet and vocal-clarinet duets, especially in the higher notes, is just as powerful, and in the company of Zakir Hussain – tabla virtuoso and the nostalgic Eivind Aarset, it gets even deeper. I spent quite some time thinking about how to explain the magic – they themselves are still developing the idea. What caught my attention was the idea from back then, that has turned into the album Sounds of Mirrors. 
The journey begins from a couple of concerts of Dhafer Youssef – oud and vocals and the genius Indian Zakir Hussain  on tabla. Later on, they are joined by Youssef’s long-time partners in crime Husnu Senlendirici with his heavenly clarinet and Eivind Aarset – guitars and programing. They record it in Bombay, Istanbul and Gothenburg…
Each one of us that became a witness to this live poetry, remembers it to this day. And that’s the biggest proof. A single chord, heard six years ago, instantly takes you back – in the courtyard of the archaeological museum, the bustle of Istanbul, with its ships and their sirens, with the warm summer night and the pure joy of these poets, that have found a common path. 
Sounds of Mirrors reminds us of the beauty of minimalism, of a beautiful melody and harmony, without any unnecessary additives. Because when the souls listen to each other and connect – there is no place for vanity. 
One last rather personal note – I am very happy that that night was unforgettable not just for us, the audience, but also for Dhafer Youssef. If that were not the case, we wouldn’t be listening to this music today. 
October 2018
© МА