Banjara

The follow-up to their exceptional 2018 debut album Namaz, this sophomore release by crossover trio Baul Meets Saz continues the quality and vision of their previous work. A fusion of the Bengali and Anatolian bardic mystical traditions, the core trio comprises of Malabika Brahma (voice, percussion), Emre Gültekin (saz, voice, percussion) and Sanjay Khyapa (oud, rebab, dubki, bendir, guitar).

The pieces on Banjara (meaning ‘nomad’ or ‘wanderer’)are mostly settings of mystical poetry from India, Persia and Anatolia. Opener ‘Samaye Gele’, featuring gorgeous duduk by guest Vardan Hovanissian, uses words by Bengali philosopher Lalon Fakir, which ruminate on the ungraspable nature of time. The title-track – recorded live in concert in 2019 – is an extended meditation on inner truth and a call to awakening. ‘Bahar’, a celebration of spring, takes things in a decidedly psychedelic direction, with subtle layers of distorted guitar and additional drums by Jean-Philippe de Gheest underscoring Brahma's ecstatic vocals. The album concludes with two pieces by prolific Anatolian folk composer Lütfü Gültekin, the former using words by Yunus Emre – the first to introduce common spoken Turkish into poetry. With its flawless musicianship and impeccable central vocal performances, Banjara is a more than worthy continuation, and a masterful work of transcendental art.