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Soul of the Lute on CD

The oud is a mainstay in Middle Eastern music. This particular lute has a sound that differs from Western lutes, being deeper and earthier in tone, kind of like a sitar minus the droning quality. Gifted instrumentalist Waed Bouhassoun offers a taste of Syria with her tuneful playing of the instrument, which here is paired with vocals. The shimmering tones of the oud are presented in a stripped back, acoustic manner that puts the focus largely on their low-toned, earthy sound. Bouhassoun's voice is fragile with a yearning quality, entrancing you as her oud strumming adds a stark contrast to her melodic vocals. The songs were all written by Bouhassoun, with melodies and lyrics inspired by Arabian poetry and traditional music of the region.