Finally on vinyl! Omar Souleyman has been the unofficial ambassador of Syrian Dabke music for a minute now thanks to Sublime Frequencies. The label actually released Dabke 2020 on CD back in 2009, but this is the first time these regional Syrian party jams have appeared on wax. The tracks found here have been culled from dozens of cassette tapes recorded in Syria from 1999 – 2008 and feature the signature combination of the electrified bozouk (their traditional stringed instrument) and Souleyman’s one-of-a-kind voice. Just check the opener “Atabat” to get an idea of what I’m talking about. You can’t front on that live energy! This is legit “new wave dabke” straight from the source. 8 tracks in all.
- music label: Sublime Frequencies 2013