Rayon de Lune (Moonbeam) is the second release of Arab-Andalusian music by the French ensemble
Aromates, directed by Michèle Claude. The Arab-Andalusian tradition, which is closely related to Sephardic music, traces its roots to the Middle Ages, when Arab learning and commerce made the Andalus one of the liveliest and most diverse cultural centers of Europe. It developed a highly sophisticated musical tradition and a rigorous pedagogy for transmitting its practice from one generation to the next. Its rhythms were often remarkably complex in comparison to contemporaneous European music, using meters such as 17/8, 13/8, and 14/4. The selections recorded here are mûwashshah, songs with verses and refrain, and intricately ornamented melodic lines. In the instrumental arrangements of the songs, Claude uses a wide assortment of Renaissance, modern, and non-western instruments, including vielle, gamba, string bass, flute, psaltery, lute, and organetto, as well as a wonderfully diverse percussion battery that includes instruments like the djembe. The character of the music is close to that of contemporary traditional music with near eastern origins, but the diverse instruments give it a distinctive mix of old and new sounds. One of the outstanding qualities of the music (and these performances in particular) is its ability to simultaneously express rhythmic vitality and languid ease. This reconciliation of opposing elements is completely engaging and invigorating. The unique repertoire, fine arrangements, and energetic performances make this a disc that should appeal to fans of world music, near eastern folk music, and early music.