Ahmed Mukhtar - The Road To Baghdad - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Music from the Middle Eastern lute, the oud, has become especially popular in Australia through Joseph Tawadros and groups like Trio Joubran and Les Triaboliques. Ancient, mesmerizing Iraqi rhythms based on Arabian magams conjure images of bazaars and mosques. Backed by exotic percussion including the dombak (single-headed goblet drum), riqq, tar (tambourines) and khishba.

Vinyl LP pressing with . Panic Stations, was named after nautical structures that act as warning posts in the oceans. The music itself is invigorated and propulsive. InchLose ControlInch builds into an intense, emotionally raw chorus that mirrors Pierre's plea to relinquish control while InchTKOInch pares the music down to it's lively rock 'n' roll core, focusing on the deft combination of guitars and rhythms and revealing the fervor of MCS' live performance. InchOver It Now,Inch a raucous standout, amps up that performance energy, reminding fans of the band's infectious enthusiasm for the stage, which the band bought on tour recently for their successful 10 year anniversary tour of Commit This To Memory.

Born 1969 in Baghdad, Iraq, performer, composer and music consultant Ahmed Mukhtar has played the oud since age ten. He first worked with many traditional music groups and musicians in Baghdad, later studying in both Syria and Britain. From 1990 he's become a performer and teacher, touring the Middle East, Europe and the US. He currently teaches oud, percussion and Arabic music theory at several schools in London. The music on Babylonian Fingers, rooted in rich and complex Iraqi traditions and Middle Eastern music, is based on maqams and rhythms from ancient Babylon to the present.