Dutch-Moroccan singer Karima el Fillali’s debut record “Bihar el Hawa” combines thousand-year-old Sufi poetry and traditional Arabic singing techniques, with contemporary compositions and sample-based beats. Each of the 5 songs on the record revisits words written by Sufi mystics Al-Hallaj and Ibn Arabi in the 10th-12th century. It’s love poetry but speaks of darkness, light, joy and grief, violence, loneliness, and peace. 

Karima El Fillali (1987)  is known for her ethereal voice, enigmatic stage presence, and profoundly moving live performances. Her melodies are deeply inspired by the art of tarab – meaning ecstasy in Arabic – and by the Sahraoui singing techniques of her Sahara-dwelling forefathers. Her influences include Oum Kalthoum, Portishead, Cypress Hill, and Björk – but her own style is deeply rooted in Quranic recitation techniques. 

Composer Kaveh Vares (1982) paved the way between musical modes from the Mashreq, Maghreb, and the west. The string sections are lush and dramatic. His cinematic compositions give the songs a sense of sophistication that is but rarely heard in pop music, while contributions from master musicians on qanun and violin show the record is still deeply rooted in tradition. 

Producer Daniel Tiuri Wils (1985) traveled from Tangier to Teheran and became mesmerized by Middle-Eastern records from the 1960s-1980s. Characterized by their warm sound, haunting melodies, and syncopated beats, the samples from these analog sources became the backbone to “Bihar El Hawa”. The eerie soundscapes and heavy dragging beats hold the space for Karima’s angelic voice and Kaveh’s melodies. 

All band members share a common background in Sufism and an affinity with Middle-Eastern music nostalgia from the 1970s. This is reflected on the record with respectful nods to mystical traditions like zikr and tarteel techniques contrasted by classic but kitschy keyboards like the Farfisa, Moog synthesizers, electric bass, heavy metal guitars, hip-hop drums, Iranian tambur, Iraqi qanun, 16th-century harpsichord, an Arabic string orchestra…and obviously a lot of theremin!

Karima El Fillali - Bihar El Hawa EP [WOW007]

يا أَيُّها البَيْتُ العَتِيقُ تَعالى

نُورٌ لَكُم بِقُلوبِنا يَتَلالا

أَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ مَفاوِزاً قد جُبْتُها

أَرْسَلتُ فيها أَدْمُعي إرْسالا

أُمْسِي وَأُصْبِحُ لا أَلَذُّ براحةٍ

أَصِلُ البُكورَ وَأَقْطَعُ الآصالا

إِنّ النِّياقَ وَإنْ أَضَرَّ بِها الوَجَى

تَسْرِي وَترْفِلُ في السُّرَى إِرْقالا

لهذي الرِّكابُ إِلَيْكُمُ سارَتْ بنا

شَوْقاً وَما تَرْجو بِذاك وِصالا

قَطَعَتْ إِلَيْكَ سَباسِباً وَرِمالاً

وَجْدًا وَما تَشْكُو لِذاكَ كَلالا

ما تَشْتَكِي أَلَمَ الجَوَى وَأَنا الَّذي

أَشْكُو الكَلالَ لَقَدْ أَتَيْتُ مُحالا


O ancient temple, there hath rose for You a light that gleams in our hearts.
I complain to Thee of the deserts which I crossed, where I let my tears flow unchecked.
Taking no joy in rest at dawn or dusk, continuing from morn to morn and passing from eve to eve.
Truly, the camels, even if they suffer from foot soreness, journey by night and make haste in their journey.
These beasts of burden carried us to you with eager desire, though they did not hope to attain it.
They traversed wildernesses and well nigh rainless lands, impelled by passion, but they did not therefore complain of fatigue.
They did not complain of the anguish of love, and ’tis I who complain of fatigue. 
Indeed, I have claimed something absurd.
 

Words: Muhammad Ibn Arabi

Bihar El Hawa

Karima El Fillali - Nourun Lakum

أَنْتُمْ مَلَكْتُم فُؤادي  

فَهِمْتُ في كُلِّ وادِ

رُدّوا عَلَيَّ فُؤادي  

فَقَدْ عَدِمُتُ رُقادي

أنا غَريبٌ وَحيدٌ  

بِكُمْ يَطُولُ انْفِرادي

You are the possessors of my heart
And into every valley I wandered
Give me back my heart
As I ran out of sleep
I am a stranger…alone
Because of You my loneliness grows

Words: Mansur Al Hallaj

Karima El Fillali - Entum Malaktum

طَـلَعَـتْ شَـمْـسُ مَـن أُحِـبُّ بِـلَيـْلٍ

فَاسْتَنارَتْ فَما لَها مِنْ غُروبْ

إنَّ شَمْسَ النَّهارِ تَغْرُبُ باللَّيْلِ

وَشَـمْـسُ القُـلوبِ لَيْـسَ تَغيبْ

مَـنْ أحَـبَّ الحَـبـيبَ طارَ إِلَيْهِ

اشْـتِـياقاً إلى لِقاءِ الحَبيب

 
My Beloved’s sun rose by night
Glowing, never to set
The sun of the day does set by night
And the Sun of hearts does not set
Rushing to the Beloved is his lover
Desiring towards meeting the Beloved

Words: Mansur Al Hallaj

Karima El Fillali - Shams El Qoloub

ما زِلتُ أطْفو في بِحارِ الهَوى

يَرْفَعُني المَوْجُ وَأنْحَطُّ

فَتارَةً يَرْفَعُني مَوْجُها

وتارَةً أهْوي وَأنْغَطُّ

حتّى إذا صَيَّرَني في 

الهَوى إِلى مَكانٍ ما لَهُ شَطُّ

نادَيْتُ يا مَنْ لَمْ أَبُحْ باسْمِهِ

وَلَمْ أخُنْهُ في الهَوى قَطُّ


I never stop floating in the sea of love
Up and down the waves are lifting me
Sometimes her waves lift me up
and sometimes I fall and drown
Then finally He is leading me to Love
to a place where there is no shore
I call Him whose name I do not tell
And who in love isn’t betrayed by me

Words: Mansur Al Hallaj

Karima El Fillali - Maa Lahu Shattu

شَيْءٌ بِـقَـلْبـي وَفـيـهِ مِـنـْكَ أَسْـمـاءُ

لا النّورُ يَدْري بِهِ، كَلّا ولا الظُّلَمُ

وَنــورُ وَجْــهِــكَ سِــرٌّ حــيــنَ أَشْــهَــدُهُ

هَـذا هُـوَ الجـودُ وَالإحْـسانُ وَالكَرَمُ

فَــخُــذ حَــديــثِـيَ حِـبّـي أَنْـتَ تَـعْـلَمُهُ

لا اللَّوحُ يَـعْـلَمُهُ حَـقّـاً ولا القَلَمُ


There is something in my heart, it has Your name
It is not perceived by light, nor by the darkness
Seeing the light of Your face, I see The Mystery
This is all goodness, all kindness, all generosity
Take my word, my Love, You know it
The tablet doesn’t know it, nor does the pen

Words; Mansur Al Hallaj

Karima El Fillali - Shayun Bi Qalbi

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