Afro Turk (Original Mix) - Hamza Rahimtula
#BanjaraSeries, #Turkey
#HamzaRahimtula
Every once in a while, an artist pours in their heart & soul on a particular piece of musical literature to help it stand the fickle test of time. The next release on Wind Horse Records is as special to the label itself as it is to Hamza - a producer whose aural boundaries have no end. The label's motivator and driving force decided to step up to the plate with an LP that's been inspired by his travels to the mystical and spiritual land of the Ottomans. The 10-track offering has been created using samples/instruments that are unique to Turkey and reflect Hamza's artistic prowess to spin aural fables by weaving different tapestries made up of the fabrics of indigenous sounds.
We dive right into the album with the first track "Afro Turk". Right off the bat, one can easily recognize the flavour of a Hamza original as the tune begins with the organic medley of a kick drum, the strum of both a stringed and a tabla-esque instrument that set-up the mood of what's to follow. A rumbling bass line follows the opening verse as the track takes off in riotous fashion. Stabs of quirky-vocal, drop in every now and then to add to the "Middle-Eastern" mood. As the break-down arrives, hair-raising stringed melodies transport the listener into Hamza's sonic playground with ease and panache. The mesmeric intermission also has samples of a cycle bell along with dialogues from the local dialect that lend Afro Turk its identity. If there was ever a way to get anyone hooked to an LP right from the get go, then this'd be it!
Thus, by weaving Turkish musical inspirations and sounds with their Indian counterparts, Banjara Series (Turkey) LP by Hamza is certainly one of his most accomplished works.