Cat No 3017177

The origins of Azerbaijan music can be traced to ancient times. The influences of Greek, Zoroastrian, Persian and Kurdish cultures have created over the centuries a fiery musical alchemy -- the monumental repertoire known as the Mugam.

French ud player Marc Loopuyt studied from masters in Morocco and Turkey and formed Yanar Dar (it means Fire Mountain) with musicians from the Baku area of Azerbaijan. The instrumentation comes from three stringed instruments-- kemantche, ud and tar--and a large frame drum. The impassioned vocals of Sevintch Sariyeva make much use of the remarkable ‘tahrir’ effect.