Souleyman, Omar / Haflat Gharbia

Sublime Frequencies

OMAR SOULEYMAN is a folk-pop singer from rural northeastern Syria. Like many Syrian musicians, he made his name as a singer for wedding parties in the region, with hundreds of cassettes and CDs documenting his performances distributed throughout the country. These, along with several studio albums, earned him legendary status in the Syrian dabke scene throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. After his 2005 breakthrough folk-hit "Khataba," Omar gained wider recognition throughout the Arab world. After collecting his tapes for a decade, Sublime Frequencies released the first compilation of Omar Souleyman tracks to be distributed in the West. The success of Highway To Hassake, and the enthusiastic online reaction to the promotional clip for his track "Leh Jani," led to Omar being invited to tour the UK and Europe in the summer of 2009. It would be his first time performing or travelling outside of the Arab world. The recordings on Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts, Omar Souleyman's fourth release on Sublime Frequencies, represent an hour of the best moments from the Western tours between 2009 and 2011, captured in striking fidelity and intensity. Fans will recognize familiar songs, as well as previously-unreleased material presented here for the first time, in what is the biggest sounding Omar record yet. Compiled and recorded by MARK GERGIS.

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