Hossam Ramzy's Silver

Reviewed by Michelle

When I was a baby dancer, I heard Hossam Ramzy's name tossed around as THE musician to dance to. Trying to fill out my miniscule music library, I purchased a couple of his albums and was severely disappointed. What was I listening too? I put the tapes back on the shelf and pulled out the baby music again.

I am no longer a baby dancer and as my dance has matured, so have my musical tastes. Hossam Ramzy is an amazing musician, full of rich complexities. As such, I don't believe a beginning dancer can even begin to tackle his music.

Silver is Hossam Ramzy at his richest and most complex. There are a hundred layers to each piece of music, all of which are classical Raks Sharqi. As such, the pieces are longer-8 minutes of pieces suitable for a set, with slow and fast, full orchestra and taqsim, joy and sorrow in nearly every piece. As is often the case, the best song opens the tracks. Dedicated to his wife (who also graces the cover), Silver is both playful and mature. I fully intend to dance with it, but know that it will take an enormous amount of effort to perform it successfully. You cannot get into a mindset of "fun and upbeat" or "slow and sensuous" and hope that will carry you through the entire piece. It calls for a careful blend of emotions and a careful blend of layering and simplicity in the dance movements. Some of the other pieces do not require the enormous emotional range that Silver does, but are nonetheless very richly detailed. If you dance with the songs (as opposed to dancing OVER them as some dancers do), you will be emotionally worked as well as physically. Please do this music the service it deserves and feel it as well as dance it. In rich Ramzy tradition, the CD ends with two spectacular drum solos, each appropriately 2 minutes long. Baby dancers wait a few more years, the rest of you, acquire this CD post haste!

Farfesha Belly Dance © 2004