The nation-states of the greater Middle East are a contentious group, with a long, complicated history and even longer memories. Spanning some 17 countries from Iran in the east to Turkey in the west, including North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean states, and the Arabian peninsula — the region is riven by political, religious, & ethnic conflicts.
Yet the music of the Middle East shows a broad similarity of instruments, scales, rhythms and formats that cut across national boundaries and create a kind of super-cultural unity. Today, progressive middle eastern musicians are promoting a non-political form of communication through their music, bringing together traditional and electronic instruments to create a shared experience of beauty and soulfulness.
On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another journey in the contemporary Middle Eastern soundscape, on a program called EQUILIBRIUM 2. Music is by MERÇAN DEDE, SYRIANA, DHAFER YOUSSEF, LIAN ENSEMBLE w/DJIVAN GASPARYAN, ALBERTO IGLESIAS, ANOUAR BRAHEM, DAVID PARSONS & JON MARK.
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