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Where Rivers Meet

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Untitled

Where Rivers Meet is a studio album by English musicians Zoe and Idris Rahman, released on 22 September 2008 by Manushi Records.[1]

Background

Zoe and Idris Rahman discovered Bengali music in 2002, when their father, Mizan Rahman, was hospitalised and Zoe had transferred some of his cassette tapes of 1950s Bengali music to CDs for him to listen to while he recuperated.[2] Zoe became intrigued by the sounds and subsequent trips to Bangladesh allowed her to learn about her background through music.[3]

Where Rivers Meet shares a similar title to Where The Rivers Meet, a suite featuring Bengali singers Lucy Rahman and Akah Sultan written for the London multi-cultural big band Grand Union Orchestra.[2]

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. In doing this we have learnt more about our father's background and our Bengali roots and feel a little closer to a culture that we weren't surrounded by when we were growing up… we hope to continue to explore the wealth of artistic achievement that is waiting to be discovered in our father's country."[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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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.TitleLength
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

References

  1. ^ "Where Rivers Meet". Jazzcds. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d May, Chris (27 September 2008). "Zoe & Idris Rahman: Where Rivers Meet (2008)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d "Bengali music inspires Zoe Rahman's new album". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 18 April 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b Mathieson, Kenny (16 October 2008). "Zoe & Idris Rahman - Where Rivers Meet (3 stars)". The List. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Lusk, John (22 September 2008). "Zoe & Idris Rahman Where Rivers Meet Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Fordham, John (26 September 2008). "Jazz review: Zoe & Idris Rahman, Where Rivers Meet". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Mann, Ian (27 September 2008). "Where Rivers Meet". The Jazz Mann. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Zoe & Idris Rahman: Where Rivers Meet". Metro. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)


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