Karloma

A new sound was born in Ramallah, Palestine in 1999. The name of the ensemble, which is also the name of this CD, comes from the lexicon of Arabic calligraphy, and describes the initial abstract sketches of the artist. The CD was produced by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) of Birzeit University, with support from the United Nations Development Program.

Karloma is a marvellous production of fusion oriental music including original works by oud player and composer Ahmad Al-Khateeb as well as oriental classics arranged specially for Karloma. The main musicians on Karloma are teachers at the ESNCM, and include Ahmad Al-Khateeb on oud, Heather Macdonald on flute, Rudi Felder on double bass and Nasser Salameh on percussion. The CD also features other guest artists.

The music is very oriental in essence but also transcends boundaries of culture and geography towards a more universal sound. Most of the pieces are instrumental although some include vocals, and the use of original, oriental rhythms in some of the pieces has added a unique taste to this production.

Recorded by Bashar Shammout at the Birzeit University sound studio, the CD was produced by Suhail Khoury, general director of the ESNCM.