No Blues - Farewell Shalabiye (2005)

«In late 2004, the Dutch production company Oost-Nederland commissioned a three-day exchange between Haytham Safia, guitarist Ad van Meurs and double-bass player Anna-Maarten van Heuvelan. The result was a subtle and profound conversation between classical Oriental music and American folk-blues. The tradition of folk tales inspired by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger finds a strong resonance in the complex taqsim scales performed by Safia’s ‘oud. Tales of love, exile and day-to-day existence are confidently sung in van Meurs’ low-key and sonorous voice that will remind some of Dire Straits.

Farewell Shalabiye or “Farewell my beauty” is an experiment by the trio that has adopted the tongue-in-cheek group name No Blues. After the 2004 sessions they successfully opened for The Holmes Brothers. No Blues then went into the HT studios in the Netherlands to record this ten-track CD under the supervision of vocalist Ankie Keultjes. Within a week of its release in August 2005 it was the Dutch national radio’s album of the week. The producers have tried to sell it as a successful blend of “Americana” and Arabic music called “Arabicana”, an appallingly corny idea. But the respectful and in-depth explorations of the two worlds do honour to the virtuosity of the three artists. Farewell Shalabiye is a soothing and engrossing CD that would enrich any album collection.» (Daniel Brown, Mondomix)

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