Let Turkish virtuoso Omar Faruk Tekbilek lead you on a guided tour of an idyllic location forgotten by many. A place not easily accessible, the entrance to which is carefully guarded and cleverly shrouded--yet easily within your reach. Innocence, pure beauty, peace and tranquility reside here. The Mystical Garden is a place where all living things are treasured.
Once again, Omar Faruk Tekbilek delights listeners with his mastery of a vast array of Middle Eastern musical traditions. As the follow up to his debut solo recording Whirling, Mystical Garden combines Omar Faruk's musical genius, compositional gifts and mystical influences, resulting in a soulful and emotional musical journey.
Mystical Garden is a variation on a theme. It is the reflection of the inspiration Omar Faruk takes from, in his words, "the unity of the Mystical life. The garden is an island surrounded by the ocean of sincerity. Everyone with their sincere hearts chanting God's name in their own language. In essence, we are the flowers owned by the one and only Gardener."
Mystical Garden features frequent Omar Faruk collaborators Brian Keane (guitars, synthesizers, percussion), Hassan Issikut (kanun), Arto Tuncboyaciyan (percussion), Ara Dinkjian (oud) and Dan Pickering (flugelhorn). The cover illustration, "Autumn Landscape With Mountains And Trees", is attributed to Kar-i Mani, circa 1370. It is found today in the Topkapi Museum in Instanbul.
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