Where Rivers Meet
2008 studio album by Zoe Rahman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Where Rivers Meet is a studio album by English musicians Zoe and Idris Rahman, released on 22 September 2008 by Manushi Records.[1]
| Where Rivers Meet | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 September 2008 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 52:32 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | Manushi | |||
| Zoe Rahman chronology | ||||
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| Idris Rahman chronology | ||||
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Background
Zoe and Idris Rahman discovered Bengali music in 2002, when their father, Mizan Rahman, was hospitalised and Zoe played 1950s Bengali music for him while he recovered.[2] Zoe became intrigued by the sounds and subsequent trips to Bangladesh allowed her to learn about her background through music.[3]
In April 2010, Zoe told Manchester Evening News, "We [Zoe and Idris Rahman] wanted to learn about our family heritage by delving into this rich musical source and hope that in the process the songs will be seen in a new light by those who already know them. Perhaps they will take others on a journey of discovery similar to the one we have experienced through making this album."[3]
Idris added: "This album represents a very personal journey that Zoe and I have taken into our own culture through music directly taught or recommended by our father, cousins and other close friends and musicians."[3]
Composition
Songs make up about a third of Where Rivers Meet,[4] with the remaining two thirds instrumental.[5] The tunes include three by Bengali Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore — "Invitation Missed", "Stream Of Joy" and "Do You Wish To Forget?"[2] The songs were also inspired by Abbasudddin and Hementa Kumar Mukerjee amongst others.[3]
Critical response
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   |
| All About Jazz |  |
| The List | |
| Metro | |
John Fordham of The Guardian rated Where Rivers Meet 3/5 and called the album "...a distinctive, heartfelt and unusual world music venture."[6] John Lusk of BBC Music said "It's a slow grower, and a modest rather towering achievement, but give its gentle charms a chance and you may find yourself liking it a whole lot more than you'd expected."[5]
Chris May of All About Jazz rated the album 4.5/5 and said, "It's best described as chamber jazz hybridized with Bengali popular music, and is a vibrant affair packed with melodies—some joyful, others sad, all of them intensely pretty—and gorgeously lyrical improvisations."[2] Ian Mann of The Jazz Mann described it as "A thoroughly enjoyable musical journey. One of the most distinctive releases of the year."[7]
Kenny Mathieson of The List rated 3/5 and said, "The beguiling melodies and richly coloured harmonies combine to form a fascinating, lightly textured hybrid that is part chamber jazz and part Bengali folk-pop music... A distinctly different and always absorbing take on the world jazz phenomenon.[4] Metro rated the album 4/5 and said "...Zoe's [Rahman's] distinctive piano sounds more comfortable and freewheeling than ever before, rumbling away around the chord changes and providing wonderful texture throughout."[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "O Nodi Re" (O, River) | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Tumi Amay Dekechhile Chhutir Nimontrone" (Invitation Missed) | 5:49 |
| 3. | "Briddho Ashrom" (Sanctuary) | 4:49 |
| 4. | "Amar Har Kala Korlam Re" (Betrayed) | 6:23 |
| 5. | "Tumi Ele Onek Diner Pore" (You Came Like Welcome Rain) | 4:27 |
| 6. | "Amay Bhashaili Re" (Now You're Gone) | 2:48 |
| 7. | "Pother Klanti Bhule" (Pilgrim's Song) | 4:11 |
| 8. | "Koto Din Dekhini Tomai" (Mind's Eye) | 4:14 |
| 9. | "Anondo Dhara" (Stream of Joy) | 5:20 |
| 10. | "Abar Elo Je Sondhya" (Suddenly It's Dusk Again) | 5:30 |
| 11. | "Abar Hobe to Dekha" (We'll Surely Meet Again) | 4:29 |
| 12. | "Purano Sei" (Do You Wish to Forget?) | 3:08 |
| Total length: | 52:32 | |
Personnel
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