Suleyman the Magnificent

Description: Suleyman the Magnificent Product Image Item Description Suleyman the Magnificent is the seminal album of Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Brian Keane, where Turkish traditionalism met American atmospherics. Tekbilek was a Turkish immigrant who was playing belly-dancing music with his group, the Sultans. Keane was a producer of pop and jazz and a notable guitarist. While scoring his soundtrack to the documentary, Suleyman the Magnificent, Keane wanted some authentic Turkish sounds to accompany this tale of the Ottoman Empire and one of its sultans. He got that and more with Tekbilek. From the opening forlorn cry of the kaval flute on "Scenes of Istanbul," the music here (all based on traditional modes and rhythms, but most of it original) conjures up ancient palaces and desert plains. Keane adds subtle synthesizer pads to some songs, but most of them feature Tekbilek wailing across a kinetic percussion bed or blowing some of the most serene melodies this side of heaven. --John Diliberto Product Description Suleyman the Magnificent is the soundtrack for the film of the same name which focuses on the life of the great Sultan of the Ottoman empire. Sultan Suleyman reigned from 1520-1566 and was renowned as a consummate reformer of law and administration. His was a golden age of art and architecture. Brian Keane's soundtrack embodies this historic sense of greatness and splendor. The music is at once exciting and profound. Keane has brilliantly scored traditional Turkish melodies and his own original melodies from a combination of authentic Turkish instruments. These instruments include the tanbur (long necked lute), daire (drum), kanun (plucked boxed zither), and kaval (rim-blown flute--a pastoral instrument associated with shepherds and nomads). The film aired on the PBS network and was a winner of the American Film Festival and the Ohio State Film Festival awards. It was produced in conjunction with the opening of an art exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. for which major funding for the film was provided by the Republic of Turkey. About the Artist "I have a picture I carry in my mind," Omar Faruk Tekbilek reveals. "I " The road to becoming a professional musician was long and winding, a journey which required a fair amount of patience and acceptance of some unusual situations. "My first teacher taught baglama (the long-necked Turkish lute)," he explains. "He had a music store, but he also had a regular government job during the day. So he told me, come after school, open the store, and I will teach you." Working in the store, Faruk learned the intricate rhythms of Turkish music, how to read scales, and more. But if the roots of Faruk's Tree of Patience were sown at home, in the small town of Adanali, Turkey, the trunk, he explains, grew up in the big city--Istanbul. Faruk had been studying Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, with the thought of becoming a Sufi cleric. At 15, he quit school to become a professional musician. "But I never quit studying, though," he maintains. "In fact, I am still studying; it's endless. Music for me is not something to show off. It's my life. It's the shortest path to God. Playing is prayer for me." He went to Istanbul and at the age of 17 met the Mevlevi Dervishes, the ancient Sufi order of Turkey. He did not join the order, but felt profoundly influenced by their mystical approach to sound and to the spirit. Payment We offer secure and easy checkout for all major credit cards through PayPal. Shipping We offer fast and free shipping to the continental United States. We do not offer international shipping at this time. We do not ship to PO Boxes at this time. Returns We offer hassle-free returns within 30 days of the purchase, no questions asked as long as the item is returned in the same condition it was received. Please contact us for a return authorization and for the return shipping address.

Price: 18.99 USD

Location: Denver, Colorado

End Time: 2024-02-16T18:01:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD