A fiercely independent people...
'Danse Amazigh' is our interpretation of folk musical styles from North Africa. Known to the ancient Greeks as Berbers, the Amazigh tribes and kingdoms dominated the region from the Atlas Mountains to Libya and were known for their fierce independence which was supported by martial prowess. Many Amazigh tribes joined the armies of Hannibal when he invaded Italy in 218 BC, after which the region became known as Numidia. In the 7th century AD their warrior queen Dihya brought to a halt for a time the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate. The Amazigh/Berbers offered nearly continuous resistance to French colonial rule in the 19th century and in the 20th many North African volunteers fought for the French military defending democracy in two world wars. Speaking of democracy and independence, the first country to recognize the newly independent United States Of America after her revolution against Great Britain was Morocco. 

Amazigh music is varied, earthy and passionate. Echoes of Antiquity composed and performed this ancient style melody, overdubbing multiple tracks of various instruments, all held together with driving  frame drumming. This piece serves as an introduction for a recitation based on Amazigh mythology, a creation story, 'The First Mortals'. This tale is interesting, in that it seeks to explain the high status Amazigh society has always afforded towards women, unique in the ancient Mediterranean world. 

Ismail Butera  Lute, rebab, plucked mandolin, flute
Natalia Perlaza  Frame drums, shakers

Image   Ouled Nail Amazigh Girls  Rudolf Lehnert, 1904 

Recorded and mixed at Soundworks Recording Studio, Astoria NY

Copyright Ismail Butera 2023

Danse Amazigh

A recording of a recitation of Mani's beautiful 'The Ships Of Light', accompanied with improvised music performed on the saz and frame drum. Manichaeanism was a Gnostic religion from the era of late antiquity, preached by a prophet named Mani who lived in what is today Iraq in the 3rd century AD. He taught that all the universe was divided into two entities, good and evil and expressed as a struggle between light and darkness, with the soul inhabiting the material body only temporarily, rejoicing upon returning in death to the source of Light which is Divinity and pure bliss. His Gospel mentions that all religious scriptures and traditions shared a message of light, proven in the universal values and basic beliefs shared by all faith traditions, that Jesus, Zoroaster and Buddha among others were messengers of that same, universal message. 

Manichaeism became popular and spread, once found from the shores of the Pacific in China to the French shores of the Atlantic, thus designating it as the world's truly universal religion. Mani and his followers were persecuted however and by the later Middle Ages eventually disappeared, though his narratives of defining the essences of light versus darkness became an important element among many religions, including Christianity and Islam.

Ismail Butera     narration, saz lute
Natalia Perlaza  frame drum

Copyright 2018

The Ships of Light

“Hamsi" is one of 8 tracks of the cd “7Fish" which is on sale at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kellythoma12, www.kellythoma.com, as well as on iTunes and Amazon

The musicians on this track:

Kelly Thoma : soprano lyra
Pedram Khavarzamini: tombak
Efren Lopez: divan saz
Ross Daly: saz

http://www.kellythoma.com/

Hamsi

The song is is inspired from the mythical man's called Kourites - The Protectors of Zeus


According to mythology the Greek name for Crete - Kriti is derived from the name of its first inhabitants, the Kourites who lived on the top of Mount Psiloritis.

They were seven armed but good-tempered giant half-gods, who invented agriculture and became curators using dance and herbs.

Greeks believed that dancing was invented by the Gods and therefore they had associated it with their religious and worshipping ceremonies.

They believed that the Gods offered this gift to some select mortals only, who in turn taught dancing to their fellow-men.

The origin of dancing is attributed to Rea who taught this art to the Kourites, who roamed the Greek world, offering their good services where necessary. Kronos had dethroned his father Uranus. Since he was afraid that he might also be dethroned by his own children, he was eating them as soon as they were born.

Kourites CoinHis wife Rea, however, deceived Kronos when their last child Zeus was born. She hid Zeus in a dark cave in Crete and instead, she gave a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to Kronos to eat. She also asked the Kourites to dance a war dance around the cave, shouting and striking their shields with their swords, so that Kronos would not hear baby Zeus crying.
So,it is very difficult for a mortal to sing louder the the voice of God

Louder than the voice of God -Tsambouna(greek bagpipe)

Commissioned for The Rose Ensemble in 2005, the countertenor soloist is the Angel who, after announcing the news of Christ's resurrection, begins to wonder himself exactly where Christ has gone and how to find him. The vielle reassures the Angel of Christ's return by quoting the traditional Irish tune, "Jimmy, mo Mhile Stor," in which a young lady faithfully awaits her beloved. The Latin text dates from the 7th century.  More info: http://abbiebetinis.com/works/aililiu_o_iosa.html  Text below:
===========
Who is God
and where is God,
of whom is God,
and where his dwelling?

Has he sons and daughters,
gold and silver, this God of yours?

Is he ever-living,
is he beautiful,
was his son
fostered by many?

Is he in heaven
or on the earth?
In the sea,
in the rivers,
in the mountains,
in the valleys?

How will he be seen,
how will he be loved,
how is he found?

Is it in youth
Or is it in old age
He is found?

Whom do you seek at the sepulcher,
O worshipers of Christ,
He is risen...  He is not here.

He is risen.

Abbie Betinis: "Quis est Deus" (Who is God?) - The Rose Ensemble, ft. Eric Betthauser

Chakwi

The 20th century historian Will Durant was the author of 'The Story of Civilization', a massive multi volume history of human societies. Volume 3, titled Caesar and Christ, explains the rise and fall of one of the world's great civilizations. This recitation is from the writing of Will Durant's monumental work. He is certainly one of the great historians of all time, as he would explain the history and contributions of human societies as well as the failings, and how these victories or defeats affect us into our own time. I received the entire set of 'The Story of Civilization' as a gift from my parents when I was a young teenager and still have this set today, to which I continually refer whenever I am drawn to  study the saga of the human endeavor. 



I recorded this at home experimenting with 'Garageband' on my MAC. I have much to learn but this has become my hobby. I leave real recoding to the hands of a master, such as my friend Kamilo at Soundworks Studios in Astoria, NY. 

Recording Copyright 2020, Ismail Butera

The Legacy of Rome/Will Durant

The Legacy of Rome/From Historian Will Durant

I compose and recite tales based on ancient epics and poetry, as well as perform on a variety of traditional & modern instruments; longed necked lutes, various flutes, lyre and yes, even accordion. Folk music, history and ancient art & literature are my passions. 

Visit my website www.echoesofantiquity.net to hear, see and read about my realm.

The Ships of Light

Ismail Butera

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