Ever since Omar Souleyman brought his frenzied combination of Syrian dabke and Iraqi folk to the UK, he’s been steadily filling up his contacts book. For Bahdeni Nami, his second proper studio album, he’s enlisted help in various guises from Four Tet, Gilles Peterson, Modeselektor and Legowelt.
But it’s not all change for Souleyman, whose live shows have lit up everything from Syrian weddings to sweatbox indie venues in north London. Recorded in Istanbul, this album is adorned with virtuosic saz work, handclaps, wails and plenty of lovelorn lyrics. He continues to blend these traditions with a relentless party-starting ethos, perhaps best observed on the title track, not to mention Legowelt’s club-orientated remix of it.
You can listen to the album ahead of release using the player below. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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